Apparatus and method for use of RFID catheter intelligence

• US 10,052,082 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hossack, Norman Hugh, Davies, Stephen Charles, Mamayek, Donald, Huennekens, Richard Scott, Fry, Stephen M., Mott, Eric Vaughn, Smith, Peter, Brownlie, Scott Tennant, Klingensmith, Jon David, Klosinski, Jr., Richard Chester, Oliver, Edward Anthony, Ahmed, Masood, Litzza, Gerald Lea
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez, Katherine
• Application Number:
  US14/821,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150342564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4438 Means for identifying the diagnostic device, e.g. barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

A method and system is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, methods and devices for identifying information about the imaging element used to gather the backscattered data are provided in order to permit an operation console having a plurality of Virtual Histology classification trees to select the appropriate VH classification tree for analyzing data gathered using that imaging element. In order to select the appropriate VH database for analyzing data from a specific imaging catheter, it is advantageous to know information regarding the function and performance of the catheter, such as the operating frequency of the catheter and whether it is a rotational or phased-array catheter. The present invention provides a device and method for storing this information on the imaging catheter and communicating the information to the operation console. In addition, information related to additional functions of the catheter may also be stored on the catheter and used to further optimize catheter performance and/or select the appropriate Virtual Histology classification tree for analyzing data from the catheter imaging element.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a catheter having an RFID chip located on a connector configured to interface with a catheter interface device, the connector being at a proximal end of the catheter, and the catheter further having a transducer adjacent a distal end of the catheter, the RFID chip storing information related to a function of the catheter;

accessing information related to the function of the catheter stored on the RFID chip using an RFID scanner of the catheter interface device, wherein the accessing includes activating the RFID scanner in response to the connector being inserted into the catheter interface device such that the RFID scanner is activated to access the information stored on the RFID chip, wherein the catheter interface device is a pullback device configured to control longitudinal movement of the catheter, including the transducer, through a vessel;

identifying at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter based on the information related to the function of the catheter accessed from the RFID chip, the at least one operating characteristic including an operating parameter of the transducer; and

using the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter to control operation of the transducer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter is selected from a group of operating characteristics consisting of catheter serial number, catheter name, catheter make, catheter model, calibration coefficients, time gain control, post amp gain, date of first use, date of last use, number of uses, hours of use, boot mode, pulse width, expiration date, number of permissible uses, hours of permissible use, geographic region of permissible use, failure codes, and patient information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prohibiting use of the catheter based on the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic related to function of the catheter includes at least one of a transducer type or a transducer frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter to an operation console.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communicating the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter to an operation console includes wirelessly communicating with the operation console.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising communicating additional information related to the function of the catheter to the operation console.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the information related to the function of the catheter stored on the RFID chip.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising monitoring catheter operation, wherein the updating the information related to the function of the catheter stored on the RFID chip includes updating based on monitoring catheter operation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the information comprises saving data from an operation console onto the RFID chip.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the information comprises writing to a memory of the RFID chip using the RFID scanner.

12. A catheter system, comprising:

a catheter interface device configured to interface with a connector located at a proximal portion of a catheter including a transducer at a distal portion and an RFID chip storing data representative of at least one operating characteristic related to a function of the catheter located on the connector, the at least one operating characteristic including an operating parameter of the transducer,

wherein the catheter interface device is a pullback device configured to control longitudinal movement of the catheter, including the transducer, through a vessel, and

wherein the catheter interface device further includes an RFID scanner configured to retrieve the data representative of at least one operating characteristic related to a function of the catheter stored on the RFID chip, wherein the RFID scanner is activated in response to the connector being inserted into the catheter interface device such that the RFID scanner is activated to access information stored on the RFID chip.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an operation console in communication with the catheter interface device, the operation console configured to obtain the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter from the catheter interface device and utilize the obtained at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter to control operation of the transducer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operation console is in wireless communication with the catheter interface device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operation console is spaced from the catheter interface device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the interface device or the operation console is operable to prohibit use of the catheter based on the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one operating characteristic related to the function of the catheter is selected from a group of operating characteristics consisting of catheter serial number, catheter name, catheter make, catheter model, calibration coefficients, time gain control, post amp gain, date of first use, date of last use, number of uses, hours of use, boot mode, pulse width, expiration date, number of permissible uses, hours of permissible use, geographic region of permissible use, failure codes, and patient information.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one operating characteristic related to function of the catheter includes at least one of a transducer type or a transducer frequency.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the RFID scanner is an RFID reader.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the RFID scanner is a read/write scanner.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the RFID chip is disposed on a sidewall of the connector.

22. An intravascular system, comprising:

an intravascular device sized and shaped for positioning within a vessel of a patient, a physiologic sensor positioned at a distal portion of the intravascular device, and a RFID chip storing data representative of a number of uses of the intravascular device at a proximal portion of the intravascular;

a pullback device connected to the intravascular device to control longitudinal movement of the intravascular device through the vessel, wherein the pullback device comprises an RFID scanner configured to retrieve the data representative of the number of uses of the intravascular device stored on the RFID chip, wherein the RFID scanner is automatically activated in response to the RFID chip being moved into a position within readable proximity to the RFID scanner when the proximal portion of the intravascular device is inserted into the pullback device such that the RFID scanner is activated to access the information stored on the RFID chip;

an operation console in communication with the RFID scanner, the operation console configured to;

obtain the data representative of the number of uses of the intravascular device stored on the RFID chip from the RFID scanner;

compare the number of uses of the intravascular device to a number of permissible uses of the intravascular device; and

control operation of the physiologic sensor based on the comparison of the number of uses and the number of permissible uses, wherein the controlling includes obtaining physiologic data within the vessel using the physiologic sensor when the number of uses is less than the number of permissible uses and otherwise prohibiting the operation of the physiologic sensor.