US 12,349,983 B2
Systems and methods for ultrasound-and-bioimpedance-based guidance of medical devices
Shayne Messerly, Kaysville, UT (US); Anthony K. Misener, Bountiful, UT (US); Steffan Sowards, Salt Lake City, UT (US); and Robin Scott Urry, Layton, UT (US)
Assigned to Bard Access Systems, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Filed by Bard Access Systems, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Filed on Mar. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/687,476.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/157,544, filed on Mar. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0280246 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 34/20 (2016.01); A61B 5/06 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/20 (2016.02) [A61B 5/063 (2013.01); A61B 5/068 (2013.01); A61B 8/0841 (2013.01); A61B 8/4254 (2013.01); A61B 8/4488 (2013.01); A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2053 (2016.02); A61B 2034/2063 (2016.02)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound system with ultrasound-and-bioimpedance-based guidance configured for accessing a target within a patient, comprising:
one or more pairs of system electrodes;
an ultrasound probe including:
an array of ultrasound transducers configured to emit ultrasound pulses into the patient and receive reflected ultrasound pulses reflected back through one or more tissues for producing ultrasound images; and
a needle-guide attachment point;
a needle including a needle hub and one or more needle electrodes in a distal portion of a needle shaft proximate a needle tip, the one or more needle electrodes configured to emit, detect, or alternately emit and detect electrical currents passed through the one or more tissues disposed between the one or more pairs of system electrodes for measuring bioimpedance,
wherein the one or more pairs of system electrodes comprises the one or more needle electrodes;
a console including one or more processors, primary memory including read-only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM), and instructions stored in the ROM configured to instantiate one or more console processes in the RAM for the ultrasound-and-bioimpedance-based guidance with the ultrasound probe and the needle when operably connected to the console;
a needle guide configured to operably connect the needle to the console, the needle guide including:
a ring electrical contact configured to establish an electrical connection with the needle when the needle is inserted into the needle guide; and
conductive inward-facing protrusions configured to establish an electrical connection with outward-facing receptacles of the needle-guide attachment point when the needle guide is coupled with the needle-guide attachment point of the ultrasound probe; and
a display screen operably connected to the console for the ultrasound-and-bioimpedance-based guidance, the display screen configured to display a graphical representation of the needle among anatomical features of the patient in the ultrasound images,
wherein the anatomical features are confirmed by the bioimpedance of the one or more tissues previously or instantly disposed between the one or more pairs of system electrodes.