X-ray ink pen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9980784-B2
Application number	US-201615009665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus includes a pen. The pen includes a reservoir configured to store a fluid. The pen also includes a tip configured to transfer the fluid from the reservoir onto a surface of an object during writing. The pen further includes a regulator configured to control a flow of the fluid from the reservoir to the tip. The apparatus also includes the fluid stored within the reservoir. The fluid includes a carrier fluid and particles of an X-Ray opaque material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a pen including:
a reservoir configured to store a fluid,
a tip configured to transfer the fluid from the reservoir onto a surface of an object during writing,
a regulator configured to control a flow of the fluid from the reservoir to the tip, and
a housing including a flexible material disposed proximate to one or more walls of the reservoir, the flexible material configured to reduce a volume of the reservoir by deforming upon application of an inward squeeze and force at least some of the fluid out of the reservoir toward the tip; and

the fluid stored within the reservoir, the fluid comprising:
a carrier fluid, and
particles of an X-Ray opaque material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is non-toxic to humans.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is chemically inert.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is an electrically non-conductive material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material includes bismuth oxide.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises at least one of:
a nitrocellulose material,
a water-soluble material, or
an epoxy material.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a diameter within a predetermined range.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is stable within a temperature range of −50° to 80° Celsius.

9. A system comprising:
a reservoir configured to store a fluid;
an applicator configured to receive at least some of the fluid from the reservoir and transfer the received fluid onto a surface of an object during a process for applying the obtained received fluid onto the surface of the object;
a housing including a flexible material disposed proximate to one or more walls of the reservoir, the flexible material configured to reduce a volume of the reservoir by deforming upon application of an inward squeeze and force the at least some of the fluid from the reservoir toward the applicator; and
the fluid stored within the reservoir, the fluid comprising:
a carrier fluid, and
particles of an X-Ray opaque material.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is non-toxic to humans.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is chemically inert.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is an electrically non-conductive material.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material includes bismuth oxide.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises at least one of:
a nitrocellulose material,
a water-soluble material, or
an epoxy material.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the particles have a diameter within a predetermined range.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fluid is stable within a temperature range of −50° to 80° Celsius.

17. A method comprising:
obtaining a liquid mixture of an amount of carrier fluid and an amount of particles of an X-Ray opaque material; and
storing at least some of the obtained liquid mixture in a reservoir associated with an applicator configured for applying the obtained liquid mixture onto a surface of an object to be X-rayed;
wherein one or more walls of the reservoir are disposed proximate to a flexible material, the flexible material configured to reduce a volume of the reservoir by deforming upon application of an inward squeeze to force at least some of the liquid mixture out of the reservoir toward the applicator.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material is:
non-toxic to humans;
chemically inert; and
an electrically insulating material.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the X-Ray opaque material includes bismuth oxide.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the liquid mixture is stable within a temperature range of −50° to 80° Celsius.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Fasolino Stephen T
• Wolfgong William J

Classifications

• A61B90/39 Primary

  Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers · CPC title

• B43K8/04

  Arrangements for feeding ink to writing-points · CPC title

• A61B2090/3933

  Liquid markers · CPC title

• A61M35/003

  Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media (hand-held massage devices with liquid delivery A61H7/003) · CPC title

• A46B11/0041

  Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes · CPC title