Patent ID: 8197494

Claim:
A medical device position guidance system comprising: a catheter assembly; and a noninvasive device, the noninvasive device being: (a) positionable over a surface of an animal; and (b) separate from the catheter assembly; and (c) configured to wirelessly communicate with the catheter assembly; the catheter assembly including: (a) a first processor; (b) a transmitter operatively coupled to the first processor; (c) a sensor operatively coupled to the first processor, the sensor being configured to, in response to a magnetic field being directed toward and reaching the sensor, output electric impulses; (c) a tube configured to support the sensor, the tube having an end portion configured to be inserted into an animal; and (d) a first memory device storing instructions which when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor, in cooperation with the sensor and the transmitter, to: (i) convert the electric impulses to a series of modulated radio waves; and (ii) wirelessly transmit, to the noninvasive device, the series of modulated radio waves; the noninvasive device including: (a) a second processor; (b) a magnetic field generator operatively coupled to the second processor, the magnetic field generator being configured to generate the magnetic field; and (c) a second memory device storing instructions which when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to: (i) receive the wirelessly transmitted series of modulated radio waves; (ii) using the received wirelessly transmitted series of modulated radio waves, determine: (A) a distance between the noninvasive device and the end of the tube; and (B) a direction in which the end of the tube is pointing; and (iii) cause a display device to indicate the distance and the direction.