Patent ID: 7650178

Claim:
A magnetic sensor navigation system comprising: (a) a magnetic sensor array, including one or more magnetic non-Faradaic sensors; (b) a sensor interface operatively connected to receive a first signal from each sensor of the array, wherein the sensor interface operates to generate a processed signal from one or more first signals received from each sensor of the array; (c) an MR scanner having a magnetic resonance environment; and (d) processing and control unit connected to receive the processed signal, wherein the processing and control unit operates to calculate a spatial position of the sensor array using the processed signal when the sensor array is placed within the magnetic resonance environment of the MR scanner, wherein the MR scanner comprises i. a magnet generating a first homogenous static magnetic field along a z-axis of a measuring space of the MR scanner; ii. a gradient magnetic field coil assembly for generating a second gradient magnetic field in the measuring space, wherein the gradient magnetic field coil assembly includes three gradient magnetic field coils disposed so as to be linearly independent of one another; and iii. an RF coil for generating a third RF magnetic field in the measuring space, wherein the magnetic resonance environment comprises the first homogenous static magnetic field generated by the magnet of the MR scanner and the second gradient magnetic field generated by the gradient magnetic field coil assembly of the MR scanner and the third RF magnetic field generated by the RF coil of the MR scanner, and wherein the one or more magnetic non-Faradaic sensors use the first homogenous magnetic field and the second gradient magnetic field of the magnetic resonance environment to generate the one or more first signals.