Catheter Assembly with a Shortened Tip

• US 20140180118A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Stigall, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US14/107,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180118A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/463
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• 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 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607

Abstract

Devices and methods of the invention generally relate to a shortened distal tip for use with intraluminal imaging devices. In certain aspects, an intraluminal device of the invention includes a body and a tip member. The body utilizes an imaging element located on a distal end of the body, in which the imaging element is configured to image an object within a forward plane extending beyond the distal end of the body. A tip member is coupled to the distal end of the body and sized to fit at least between the forward plane and the distal end.

Claims

1. An intraluminal device, the intraluminal device comprising

a body comprising an imaging element located on a distal end of the body, wherein the imaging element is configured to image an object within a forward plane extending beyond the distal end;

and

a tip member coupled to the distal end of the body and sized to fit at least between the forward plane and the distal end.

2. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the forward plane extends a distance beyond the distal end of the body, and a length of the tip member is less than that distance.

3. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the forward plane is at an arbitrary angle to an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the catheter.

4. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the length of the tip member is 2 mm or less.

5. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the tip member comprises an acoustically transparent material.

6. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the tip member is formed from injection molding.

7. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer array.

8. The intraluminal device of claim 7, wherein the ultrasound transducer array comprises a plurality of ultrasound transducers arranged in a circular array.

9. The intraluminal device of claim 7, further comprising an ultrasound processing system for processing signals produced by the ultrasound transducer array to form an image of the object within the forward plane.

10. The intraluminal device of claim 1, wherein the imaging element is further configured to image an object within a lateral plane.

11. The intraluminal device of claim 10, wherein the lateral plane is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the intraluminal device.

12. A method for imaging an object, the method comprising:

providing an intraluminal device, the intraluminal device comprising

a body comprising an imaging element located on a distal end of the body, wherein the imaging element is configured to image an object within a forward plane extending beyond the distal end of the body; and

a tip member coupled to the distal end of the body and sized to fit at least between the forward plane and the distal end of the body; and

inserting the intraluminal device into a lumen of a vessel; and

imaging an object within the forward plane.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the forward plane extends a distance beyond the distal end of the body, and a length of the tip member is less than that distance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the length of the tip member is 2 mm or less.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the forward plane is at an arbitrary angle to an axis of the intraluminal device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the tip member comprises an acoustically transparent material.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the tip member is formed from injection molding.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the imaging element comprises an ultrasound transducer array.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the ultrasound transducer array comprises a plurality of ultrasound transducers arranged in a circular array.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising an ultrasound processing system for processing signals produced by the ultrasound transducer array to form an image of the object within the forward plane.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the imaging element is further configured to image an object within a lateral plane.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the lateral plane is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the intraluminal device.