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EP-4736803-A2 - ORTHOGONALLY ISOLATED EXCITER WITH FIELD STEERING

EP4736803A2EP 4736803 A2EP4736803 A2EP 4736803A2EP-4736803-A2

Abstract

Provided herein are systems, devices, assemblies, and methods for generating exciter signals, for example, to activate a remotely located tag. The systems, devices, assemblies, and methods find use in a variety of application including medical applications for the locating of a tag in a subject.

Inventors

  • RUDIE, ERIC N.
  • KLINKHAMMER, KASSANDRA
  • HILTNER, JASON
  • COSTELLO, DAVE
  • KLUGE, STANLEY E.
  • KOYRAKH, LEV
  • MORGAN, SEAN
  • VAN DER WEIDE, DANIEL

Assignees

  • Elucent Medical, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190604

Claims (15)

  1. A device comprising: a base substrate (140); a plurality of exciter coils (150) attached to said base substrate (140) and configured to generate a magnetic field in three orthogonal directions for causing a tag (100) to generate a signal; and characterized in that the device includes: a plurality of witness station assemblies (161), wherein each of the plurality of witness station assemblies (161) comprises a witness coil (160), wherein said witness coil (160) comprises: a metal core (166) having a coil-free proximal end (171), a coil-free distal end (172), and a central region (173), and coil windings (167) wound around said central region (173) of said metal core (166), and wherein each of the plurality of witness station assemblies (161) comprises a first witness coil bracket (165) and a second witness coil bracket (165), and a first elastomeric part (162) and a second elastomeric part (162), wherein said coil-free proximal end (171) of said metal core (166) is secured between said first witness coil bracket (165) and said first elastomeric part (162), and wherein said coil-free distal end (172) of said metal core (155) is secured between said second witness coil bracket (165) and said second elastomeric part (162).
  2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first and second witness coil brackets (165) each comprises at least one adjustment part (163).
  3. The device of claim 2, wherein said at least one adjustment part (163) comprises at least one screw and/or at least one rod.
  4. The device of claim 1, wherein said witness station assembly further comprises an electronics part electrically linked to said witness coil (160).
  5. The device of claim 4, wherein said electronics part comprises at least one capacitor and/or at least one balun circuit (180).
  6. The device of claim 5, wherein said electronics part comprises a printed circuit board (170).
  7. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of witness station assemblies (161) further comprises a faraday shield (168).
  8. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of witness station assemblies (161) further comprises: i) an electronics part electrically linked to said witness coil (160), and ii) a faraday shield (168).
  9. The device of claim 1, wherein said first and second elastomeric parts (162) comprise a material selected from: an elastomer polymer and a spring.
  10. The device of claim 1, wherein said metal core (166) comprise a ferrite core.
  11. The device of claim 1, wherein said metal core (166) has a diameter of 8 to 16 mm.
  12. The device of claim 1, wherein said metal core (166) has a length of 20 to 60 mm.
  13. The device of claim 1, wherein said coil windings (167) comprise metal wire.
  14. The device of claim 13, wherein said metal wire is wound around said metal core (166) 150-300 times.
  15. The device of claim 1, wherein said first and second witness coil brackets (165) each comprises a notch configured to fit said wire-free proximal end (171) and/or said wire-free distal end (172) of said metal core (166).

Description

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional application serial number 62/680,750, filed June 5, 2018, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD Provided herein are systems, devices, assemblies, and methods for generating exciter signals, for example, to activate a remotely located marker tag. The systems, devices, assemblies, and methods find use in a variety of applications including medical applications for the locating of a tag in a subject. BACKGROUND A common and serious challenge for many medical procedures is the accurate localization of treatment areas. For example, the location of lesions, such as tumors that are to undergo treatment, including surgical resection, continues to present a challenge to the medical community. Existing systems are expensive, complex, time-consuming, and often unpleasant for the patient. Such issues are illustrated by the surgical treatment of breast lesions. A common technique used in breast tumor surgery is wire localization of the lesions. Precise preoperative localization of some breast lesions is necessary before removal of the lesion. Wire localization is used to mark the location of a breast abnormality. The procedure ensures greater accuracy for a breast biopsy or lumpectomy. The surgeon typically uses the wire as a guide to the tissue that needs to be removed. Wire localization is typically conducted in the radiology department of the hospital or surgical center. Mammograms (or in some cases, ultrasound images) are taken to show the location of the breast abnormality. Patients are awake during the placement of the wire, but the breast tissue is numbed to reduce or avoid pain from the needle or the wire. It is possible to feel pressure or pulling sensations during the wire placement. Once images have been taken, and the tissue has been numbed, the radiologist will use a needle to target the breast abnormality. The tip of this needle rests in the location that the surgeon needs to find in order to remove the right tissue. A slender wire is threaded down through the needle and out of its tip, to lodge at the target tissue. The needle is removed, leaving the wire in place. With the wire in place, the patient has another mammogram, to check that the tip of the wire is properly positioned. If the wire is not in the correct place, the radiologist will reposition and re-check it, to ensure accurate placement. When the wire is finally positioned, it will be secured in place with tape or a bandage. The wire localization procedure can take about an hour, and is usually scheduled hours before biopsy or lumpectomy. Thus, the patient must often wait hours for surgery with the wire present in their body and protruding from their skin. The wire is removed, along with some breast tissue, during surgery. This process takes many hours, involves multiple imaging steps, and is inconvenient and unpleasant for the patient-as well as being expensive. A similar type of procedure is done to localize pulmonary nodules prior to resection. In some cases where pulmonary nodules may be difficult to locate at conventional open surgery or at thoracoscopy, a hook wire, injection of visible dye, or a radionuclide is placed in or around the nodule in an attempt to improve localization prior to removal. This procedure usually takes place in the computerized tomography (CT) suite prior to the removal of the nodule. The patient is then transported to the surgical unit and the surgeon cuts down on the wire, uses a radionuclide detector, or uses visual landmarks to localize and remove the nodule. In other types of surgeries and medical procedures, physicians may have trouble locating a target prior to removal or manipulation. Examples of this include the removal of masses, fluid collections, foreign bodies or diseased tissues. Other times, placements of catheters or other percutaneous procedures are performed either without direct visualization or with the lack of a specific guidance modality. Performing procedures without precise guidance can increase the amount of damage to normal tissues and decrease the patient's functional status. Percutaneous biopsy is a well-accepted, safe procedure performed in virtually every hospital. Biopsy often entails placement of a co-axial guide needle through which the biopsy device is placed into the target. Many of the lesions that are removed, punctured or manipulated as described above have previously undergone successful percutaneous biopsy. The placement of the guide needle for biopsy is an opportunity to place a fiduciary or other localizing system without causing additional tissue trauma than the patient would otherwise undergo. Many other medical devices and procedures could benefit from improved tissue localization. These include any procedure or test that is degraded by any bodily motion such as cardiac motion, respiratory motion, motion produced by the musculoskeletal system, or gastrointestinal/genitourinary motion. E