Thermography catheter

• US 20030176810A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volcano Therapeutics, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Therapeutics, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Maahs, Tracy D., Flores, Jesus, Campbell, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US10/099,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6858 with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

An improved catheter capable of detecting metabolic activity within vascular anomalies is disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention includes a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end, an expandable body located at the distal end of the catheter, the expandable body comprising one or more expandable body arms, and at least one sensor integrally formed on each of the expandable body arms. The at least one sensor may include a variety of sensors, including ultrasonic sensors, flow sensors, thermal sensors, thermocouples, blood temperature sensors, electrical contact sensors, conductivity sensors, and infrared sensors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing the interior of a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:

a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end;

an expandable body located at said distal end of said catheter;

said expandable body comprising one or more expandable body arms; and

at least one sensor integrally formed on each of said one or more expandable body arms.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said proximal end of said catheter comprises a handle in communication with said distal end.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a movable outer sheath attached to said handle, wherein said movable outer sheath is capable of moving from a distal position to a proximal position through the actuation of said handle; and

an elongated body in communication with said handle and said distal end, said elongated body contained within said outer sheath.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said elongated body includes at least one lumen formed therein.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catheter is capable of engaging a guidewire.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said expandable body is capable of controllably expanding from a first non-deployed state to a second deployed state.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said expandable body is capable of contacting an interior wall of said blood vessel in said expanded state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said one or more expandable body arms comprises a slotted body arm having at least one slot and said sensor is received within said slot.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said expandable body is manufactured from a shape memory alloy.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said shape memory alloy is Nitinol.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catheter incorporates radio-opaque material therein.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said expandable body comprises four expandable body arms.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said expandable body comprises five expandable body arms

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic sensors, flow sensors, thermal sensors, thermocouples, blood temperature sensors, electrical contact sensors, conductivity sensors, chemical sensors, and infrared sensors.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor further comprises a flex circuit material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more conductors in communication with said at least one sensor; and

at least one external detection device in communication with said one or more conductors.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said at least one external detection device includes at least one device selected from the group consisting of thermal detectors, video monitors, video displays, computers, ohm meters, amp meters, volt meters, and electromagnetic detectors.

18. An apparatus for sensing arterial plaque formed in a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:

a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end, said catheter capable of engaging a guidewire;

an expandable body located at said distal end of said catheter capable of controllably expanding from a first non-deployed state to a second deployed state, said expandable body comprising at least one slotted body arm having at least one slot; and

at least one sensor received within said slot of said slotted body arm.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic sensors, flow sensors, thermal sensors, thermocouples, blood temperature sensors, electrical contact sensors, conductivity sensors, chemical sensors, and infrared sensors.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said expandable body comprises four slotted body arms.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said expandable body comprises five slotted body arms

22. An apparatus for sensing arterial plaque formed in a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:

a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end, said catheter capable of engaging a guidewire;

an expandable body located at said distal end of said catheter capable of controllably expanding from a first non-deployed state to a second deployed state, said expandable body comprising at least one expandable body arm; and

at least one flexible circuit sensor integrally formed on said at least one expandable body arm.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic sensors, flow sensors, thermal sensors, thermocouples, blood temperature sensors, electrical contact sensors, conductivity sensors, chemical sensors, and infrared sensors.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said expandable body comprises four expandable body arms.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said expandable body comprises six expandable body arms.

26. An apparatus for examining the interior of a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:

a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end;

one or more independently expandable, resilient body arms located at said distal end of said catheter, each of said body arms having at least one slot; and

at least one sensor received within said slot of said one or more independently expandable, resilient body arms.

27. An apparatus for examining the interior of a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:

a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end;

one or more independently expandable, resilient body arms located at said distal end of said catheter; and

at least one flexible circuit sensor integrally formed on said at least one expandable body arm.