1. A firearm authorization system, comprising:
(1) a firearm having a frame with a handle, a barrel carried by said frame, and a fire control system carried by said frame and in operational connection with said barrel, said fire control system adapted to fire a bullet through said barrel;
(2) a computer controller carried by said frame and adapted to receive and evaluate signals, said computer controller emitting an electrical output signal when said computer controller does not receive an authorizing signal;
(3) a disabler carried by said frame and in operational connection with said fire control system, said disabler being responsive to said electrical output signal so that, when said computer controller emits said electrical output signal, said disabler thereupon disconnects said fire control system so that said fire control system is prevented from firing said bullet;
(4) a first member having a movable state and a fixed state, and carrying a camming protection that engages said fire control system, said camming projection of said first member camming fire control system when said first member is in said fixed state; and
(5) a second member that bends in response to said electrical output signal, said second member, when bent, holding said first member in said fixed state, and, when said second member is not bent, allowing said first member to remain in said movable state.
2. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first member further comprises a spring, and wherein said first member, when in said moving state, moves against the urging of said spring.
3. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first member has a hole formed therein and said second member has a locking projection dimensioned to fit within said hole, so that when said second member is bent, said locking projection is received within said hole and thereby holds said first member in said fixed state.
4. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 1, wherein said handle has a magazine well formed therein, and wherein said disabler is carried by said magazine well.
5. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an authorizing device adapted to transmit an authorizing signal to said computer controller.
6. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 5, wherein said computer controller is adapted to query said authorizing device for said authorizing signal.
7. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a sensor switch for causing said computer controller to query said authorizing device, said sensor switch closed by holding said firearm.
8. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a power source carried by said frame.
9. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a power switch carried by said frame and adapted to cause power to be drawn from said power source, said power switch closed by removing said firearm from a holster.
10. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 1, wherein said authorizing device is remote from said computer controller.
11. The firearm authorization system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second member is made of a piezo-electric material that bends in response to application of said electrical output signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of determining the rotation of an operative element, comprising:
introducing the operative element into the body of a patient;
rotating the operative element about an axis;
transmitting a tracking beam in mechanical association with the rotating operative element; and
determining an angle through which the tracking beam rotates between a reference rotational orientation and a reference point.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam is transmitted from the rotating operative element.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam is transmitted from an element mechanically coupled to the rotating operative element.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam is an ultrasound tracking beam.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference point is located within the patient.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the operative element, wherein the angle determination is performed during operation of the operative element.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the operative element, wherein the angle determination is only performed during non-operation of the operative element.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam is fan-shaped.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than ten degrees.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than five degrees.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth greater than ninety degrees.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth substantially equal to one hundred eighty degrees.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the operative element comprises an imaging element.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking beam is pulsed, and the angle is calculated by counting the number of tracking beam pulses transmitted as the tracking beam rotates from the reference rotational orientation to the reference point.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tracking beam is considered to be rotated to the reference point when a highest magnitude tracking beam pulse intersects the reference point.
17. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the reference rotational orientation with a fiducial operating point of the operative element.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the tracking beam at the reference point, wherein the tracking beam rotation determination is based on the receipt of the tracking beam.
19. A medical system, comprising:
an elongate member configured for introduction into the body of a patient;
a rotatable operative element mounted on the elongate member;
a tracking element mechanically associated with the operative element, the tracking element configured for transmitting a tracking beam;
a reference element; and
processing circuitry configured for determining an angle through which the tracking beam rotates between a reference rotational orientation and the reference element.
20. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the tracking element is an ultrasound transducer.
21. The medical system of claim 19, further comprising another elongate member configured for introduction into the body of the patient, wherein the reference element is mounted on the other elongate member.
22. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining the tracking beam rotation angle during operation of the operative element.
23. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining the tracking beam rotation angle during non-operation of the operative element.
24. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a fan-shaped tracking beam.
25. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than ten degrees.
26. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than five degrees.
27. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth greater than ninety degrees.
28. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth substantially equal to one hundred eighty degrees.
29. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the elongate member is a catheter member.
30. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the operative element is mounted on a distal end of the medical probe.
31. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the operative element comprises an imaging element.
32. The medical system of claim 31, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer.
33. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for operating the tracking element to generate a pulsed tracking beam, for counting the number of tracking beam pulses transmitted as the tracking beam rotates from the reference rotational orientation to the reference element, and for determining the tracking beam rotation angle based on the counted number of tracking beam pulses.
34. The medical system of claim 33, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining when a highest magnitude tracking beam pulse is received, wherein the tracking beam is considered to be rotated to the reference element when the highest magnitude tracking beam pulse intersects the reference element.
35. The medical system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for associating the reference rotational orientation with a fiducial operating point of the operative element.
36. A medical probe, comprising:
an elongate member configured for introduction into the body of a patient;
a rotatable operative element mounted on the elongate member; and
a tracking element mechanically associated with the operative element, the tracking element configured for transmitting a fan-shaped tracking beam.
37. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the tracking element is an ultrasound transducer.
38. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the fan-shaped beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than ten degrees.
39. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the fan-shaped beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than five degrees.
40. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the fan-shaped beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth greater than ninety degrees.
41. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the fan-shaped beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth substantially equal to one hundred eighty degrees.
42. The medical probe of claim 36, further comprising a mismatched material partially covering the element to increase an out-of-plane beamwidth of the fan-shaped beam.
43. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the elongate member is a catheter member.
44. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the operative element is mounted on a distal end of the medical probe.
45. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the operative element comprises an imaging element.
46. The medical probe of claim 36, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer.
47. An imaging medical probe, comprising:
an elongate member configured for introduction into the body of a patient;
a rotatable imaging element mounted on the elongate member and being configured for transmitting an imaging beam having a first out-of-plane beamwidth; and
a diffraction grating slidably mounted on the elongate member and being configured to selectively mask the imaging element, so that the imaging element transmits a tracking beam having a second out-of-plane beamwidth greater than the first out-of-plane beamwidth.
48. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer, and the diffraction grating comprises a sonotranslucent window through which the ultrasound transducer can transmit an ultrasound tracking beam.
49. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer, and the diffraction grating is composed of an air impregnated material.
50. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the tracking beam is fan-shaped.
51. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than ten degrees.
52. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than five degrees.
53. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth greater than ninety degrees.
54. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth substantially equal to one hundred eighty degrees.
55. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the elongate member is a catheter member.
56. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the imaging element and diffraction grating are mounted to a distal end of the elongate member.
57. The imaging medical probe of claim 47, wherein the imaging element comprises a ultrasound imaging element.
58. A method of orienting image data acquired using an imaging assembly, comprising:
introducing the imaging assembly into the body of a patient;
rotating the imaging assembly about an axis;
transmitting a tracking beam in mechanical association with the rotating imaging assembly; and
rotationally orienting the image data based on the rotation of the tracking beam.
59. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam is transmitted from the rotating imaging assembly.
60. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam is transmitted from an element mechanically coupled to the rotating imaging assembly.
61. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam is an ultrasound tracking beam.
62. The method of claim 58, wherein the angle determination is continuously performed during acquisition of the image data.
63. The method of claim 58, wherein the angle determination is only performed when the image data is not acquired.
64. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam is fan-shaped.
65. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than ten degrees.
66. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than five degrees.
67. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth greater than ninety degrees.
68. The method of claim 58, wherein the tracking beam exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth substantially equal to one hundred eighty degrees.
69. The method of claim 58, wherein the image data is ultrasound image data.
70. The method of claim 58, further comprising transmitting an imaging beam from the rotating imaging assembly to generate the image data.
71. The method of claim 70, wherein the tracking beam and imaging beam are the same beam.
72. The method of claim 70, wherein the tracking beam and imaging beam are different beams.
73. The method of claim 58, further comprising determining an angle through which the tracking beam rotates between a reference rotational orientation and a reference point, wherein the image orientation is based on the determined tracking beam rotation angle.
74. The method of claim 73, wherein the tracking beam is pulsed, and the angle is calculated by counting the number of tracking beam pulses transmitted as the tracking beam rotates from the reference rotational orientation to the reference point.
75. The method of claim 74, wherein the tracking beam is considered to be rotated to the reference point when a highest magnitude tracking beam pulse is received.
76. The method of claim 73, wherein the image is oriented an angle that is a function of the determined tracking beam rotation angle.
77. The method of claim 73, further comprising associating the reference rotational orientation with a fiducial rotational orientation within the image.
78. The method of claim 73, wherein the tracking beam and imaging beam are different beams, the imaging beam is rotationally offset from the tracking beam a predetermined angle, and the orientation of the image is further based on the predetermined offset angle.
79. The method of claim 78, wherein the image is oriented an angle equal to a function of the difference between the determined tracking beam rotation angle and the predetermined offset angle.
80. The method of claim 58, further comprising:
establishing a three-dimensional coordinate system; and
displaying the image data within the three-dimensional coordinate system.
81. An imaging medical system, comprising:
an elongate member configured for introduction into the body of a patient;
a rotatable imaging assembly mounted on the elongate member, the rotatable imaging assembly configured for acquiring image data;
a tracking element mechanically associated with the imaging assembly, the tracking element configured for transmitting a tracking beam; and
processing circuitry configured for orienting the imaging data based on the rotation of the tracking beam.
82. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the tracking element is an ultrasound transducer.
83. The imaging medical system of claim 81, further comprising a reference element configured for receiving the tracking beam.
84. The imaging medical system of claim 83, further comprising another elongate member configured for introduction into the body of the patient, wherein the reference element is mounted on the other elongate member.
85. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining the tracking beam rotation angle during operation of the operative element.
86. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining the tracking beam rotation angle during non-operation of the operative element.
87. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a fan-shaped tracking beam.
88. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than ten degrees.
89. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an in-plane beamwidth of less than five degrees.
90. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth greater than ninety degrees.
91. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the tracking element is configured for transmitting a tracking beam that exhibits an out-of-plane beamwidth substantially equal to one hundred eighty degrees.
92. The imaging medical system of claim 81, further comprising a display coupled to the processing circuitry, the display configured for displaying an oriented image from the oriented image data.
93. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the elongate member is a catheter member.
94. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the imaging assembly is mounted on a distal end of the medical probe.
95. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the imaging assembly comprises an ultrasound transducer.
96. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the imaging assembly comprises an imaging element configured for transmitting an imaging beam.
97. The imaging medical system of claim 96, wherein the imaging and tracking elements are the same element.
98. The imaging medical system of claim 96, wherein the imaging and tracking elements are different elements.
99. The imaging medical system of claim 83, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining an angle through which the tracking beam rotates between a reference rotational orientation and the reference element, and for orienting the image data based on the determined angle.
100. The imaging medical system of claim 99, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for operating the tracking element to generate a pulsed tracking beam, for counting the number of tracking beam pulses transmitted as the tracking beam rotates from the reference rotational orientation to the reference element, and for determining the angle based on the counted number of tracking beam pulses.
101. The imaging medical system of claim 100, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for determining when a highest magnitude tracking beam pulse is received, wherein the tracking beam is considered to be rotated to the reference element upon receipt of the highest magnitude tracking beam pulse.
102. The imaging medical system of claim 99, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for orienting the image an angle equal to a function of the determined tracking beam rotation angle.
103. The imaging medical system of claim 99, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for associating the reference rotational orientation with a fiducial rotational orientation within the image data.
104. The imaging medical system of claim 99, further comprising an imaging element configured for transmitting an imaging beam, wherein the imaging element is rotationally offset from the tracking element a predetermined angle, and the processing circuitry is configured for orienting the image data further based on the predetermined offset angle.
105. The imaging medical system of claim 104, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for orienting the image data equal to a function of the difference between the determined tracking beam rotation angle and the predetermined offset angle.
106. The imaging medical system of claim 81, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for establishing a three-dimensional coordinate system, and displaying the image data within the three-dimensional coordinate system.