Push-fit body implantable position sensor

摘要

A sensor 100 implanted into a body part of a patient is housed in an inwardly deformable external jacket 102 to provide an interference fit with the body part to which it is attached (figure 4). The sensor may be implanted into a bone by pushing the sensor into a prepared hole (130, figure 4). The sensor jacket comprises an inwardly compressible body portion 122 which, when the sensor is implanted into the hole, deforms to secure the sensor in place. Thus the sensor may be implanted using a pressing action rather than the conventional screwing action. The sensor may include a set of coils that produce a position signal in response to an externally provided magnetic field, thus the sensor may be tracked in order to detect the location of the body part to which it is attached.