Method and apparatus for imaging within a living body
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for imaging a portion of a body cavity, comprising:
- a steerable micro-guidewire having a maximum diameter of approximately 760 microns;
an SSID including an imaging array disposed on a distal end of the micro-guidewire; and
a lens system disposed on a distal end of the SSID.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for imaging within a living body is described. The method includes directing a micro-guidewire along a primary path of the living body, the micro-guidewire having an imaging device including a SSID with an imaging array and a GRIN lens optically coupled to the imaging array. A secondary path can be identified, laterally branching from the primary path, the secondary path being of much smaller dimensions than the primary path. The distal end of the micro-guidewire can be turned and advanced into the secondary path by applied pressure at a proximal end of the micro-guidewire.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for imaging a portion of a body cavity, comprising:
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a steerable micro-guidewire having a maximum diameter of approximately 760 microns; an SSID including an imaging array disposed on a distal end of the micro-guidewire; and a lens system disposed on a distal end of the SSID. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A medical device, comprising:
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a flexible terminal segment of a steerable micro-guidewire having a plurality of machined cuts disposed on an outer portion thereof; an SSID including an imaging array disposed on a distal end of the flexible terminal segment, the SSID having a maximum width of about 450 microns; and a lens system disposed on a distal end of the SSID. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of imaging a portion of a body cavity, comprising:
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advancing an SSID positioned on at least a portion of a micro-guidewire into a cavity of a body, wherein the SSID includes an image array disposed on a distal end thereof and a lens system disposed on a distal end of the SSID; and electronically generating image data from the SSID corresponding to at least a portion of the cavity of the body. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification