VISUALIZATION OF A CATHETER VIEWED UNDER ULTRASOUND IMAGING
First Claim
1. A catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, the catheter comprising:
- a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal shaft section formed at least in part of a metallic member; and
b) the distal shaft section further having an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner layer on an outer surface of the distal shaft section, and an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric outer layer on an outer surface of the inner layer, and an echogenic member which has an outer surface and which is between the inner and outer layers, and the distal shaft section has a first longitudinal portion configured to produce a continuous shaft image and along which the echogenic member outer surface is in part separated from adjacent surrounding surfaces of the inner and outer layers by a gap such that the echogenic member is not fully encapsulated, and a second longitudinal portion configured to produce a discontinuous shaft image and along which the echogenic member is fully encapsulated by the inner and outer layers.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, having a shaft section configured to minimize ultrasonic image artifacts and the direct ultrasonic image brightness of the shaft surface and its internal components, and to produce its image at a wide range of imaging angles, preferably with an intensity not substantially different than surrounding tissue of the body lumen under ultrasound visualization. The shaft section is operative for the desired use of the catheter, yet is also configured to facilitate accurately imaging the shape and location of the shaft section, and easily differentiate it from the surrounding anatomy without unduly obscuring the images of the adjacent anatomy using an ultrasound imaging system.
79 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, the catheter comprising:
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a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal shaft section formed at least in part of a metallic member; and b) the distal shaft section further having an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner layer on an outer surface of the distal shaft section, and an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric outer layer on an outer surface of the inner layer, and an echogenic member which has an outer surface and which is between the inner and outer layers, and the distal shaft section has a first longitudinal portion configured to produce a continuous shaft image and along which the echogenic member outer surface is in part separated from adjacent surrounding surfaces of the inner and outer layers by a gap such that the echogenic member is not fully encapsulated, and a second longitudinal portion configured to produce a discontinuous shaft image and along which the echogenic member is fully encapsulated by the inner and outer layers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of making a catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, comprising:
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a) applying an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner and outer layer, with an echogenic member therebetween, on an outer surface of the shaft section; and b) applying heat and radially inward pressure on an outer surface of the outer layer to heat the inner and outer layers to a first elevated temperature along a second longitudinal portion of the shaft section such that the inner and outer layers fully encapsulate the echogenic member along the second portion, and to a second elevated temperature less than the first elevated temperature along a first longitudinal portion of the shaft section so that an outer surface of the echogenic member is in part separated from adjacent surrounding surfaces of the inner and outer layers by a gap such that the echogenic member is not fully encapsulated along the first portion, and the first portion forms a continuous shaft image and the second portion forms a discontinuous shaft image on a 3D ultrasound image format. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, the catheter comprising:
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a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal shaft section formed at least in part of a metallic member; and b) the distal shaft section further having an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner layer on an outer surface of the distal shaft section, and an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric outer layer on an outer surface of the inner layer, and an echogenic member which has an outer surface and which is between the inner and outer layers, and the distal shaft section is configured to produce a discontinuous shaft image.
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23. A catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, the catheter comprising:
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a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal shaft section formed at least in part of a metallic member; and b) the distal shaft section further having an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner layer on an outer surface of the distal shaft section, and an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric outer layer on an outer surface of the inner layer, and an echogenic member which has an outer surface and which is between the inner and outer layers, and the distal shaft section is configured to produce a continuous shaft image.
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24. A method of making a catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, comprising:
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a) applying an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner and outer layer, with an echogenic member therebetween, on an outer surface of the shaft section; and b) applying heat and radially inward pressure on an outer surface of the outer layer to heat the inner and outer layers to fully encapsulate the echogenic member and form a discontinuous shaft image on a 3D ultrasound image format.
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25. A method of making a catheter for use in a patient'"'"'s body lumen, configured for being viewed under ultrasonic imaging using an ultrasound imaging system outside of the patient'"'"'s body lumen, comprising:
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a) applying an echo diffusive and dampening polymeric inner and outer layer, with an echogenic member therebetween, on an outer surface of the shaft section; and b) applying heat and radially inward pressure on an outer surface of the outer layer to heat the inner and outer layers to fully encapsulate the echogenic member and form a continuous shaft image on a 3D ultrasound image format.
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Specification