Claims
- 1. A marker particularly valuable to performing invasive surgical procedures, comprising:
a housing; and a reservoir filled with a substance which, when dispensed, is radiopaque.
- 2. The marking pen of claim 1, wherein the ink is also visible to the human eye.
- 3. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance is capable of marking human skin.
- 4. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance is capable of marking a commercially available surgical film.
- 5. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance includes a metal.
- 6. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance includes a heavy metal.
- 7. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance includes barium.
- 8. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance is primarily a liquid.
- 9. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance is primarily a powder.
- 10. The marking pen of claim 1, wherein the substance is erasable.
- 11. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance is biocompatible.
- 12. The marker of claim 1, wherein the substance is non-toxic.
- 13. A method of preparing for surgical procedure, comprising the steps of:
providing the marker of FIG. 1; indicating an operative site using the marker; and subjecting the site to x-ray exposure for the purpose of comparing the indication to one or more internal structures associated with the procedure.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of indicating an operative site using the marker includes marking a surgical film.
- 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of indicating an operative site using the marker includes marking a surgical film.
- 16. The method of claim 13, further including the step of erasing the indication if not optimized for the procedure.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/419,578, filed Oct. 18, 2002, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60419578 |
Oct 2002 |
US |