Right heart ejection fraction and cardiac output catheter
First Claim
1. An apparatus for making temperature measurements within the pulmonary artery of a patient comprising:
- an elongated flexible tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having a longitudinal axis, proximal and distal ends and a distal end portion which includes said distal end;
said distal end portion being curved with such curve having an inside and an outside;
a temperature sensor;
means for mounting the temperature sensor on said distal end portion of the tube with at least a portion of the temperature sensor displaced radially from the longitudinal axis of the tube and being at a location in a zone which extends circumferentially of the tube for about 150 degrees and which extends into the outside of the curve for about 30 degrees whereby the temperature sensor can obtain temperature information about a fluid adjacent the temperature sensor; and
means for transmitting the temperature information proximally of the temperature sensor along the tube.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for injecting a fluid into the heart and making temperature measurements within the pulmonary artery comprising an elongated flexible tube having a distal end portion, a temperature sensor mounted on the distal end portion, a peripheral wall, at lest one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an injectate port opening in the peripheral wall proximally of the temperature sensor. The tube can be advanced through a vein, the right atrium and the right ventricle to place the distal end portion in the pulmonary artery and the injectate port in the right atrium facing generally toward the inferior vena cave. The temperature sensor is oriented on the distal end portion so as to materially reduce the likelihood that it will contact the wall of the pulmonary artery during use.
61 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for making temperature measurements within the pulmonary artery of a patient comprising:
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an elongated flexible tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having a longitudinal axis, proximal and distal ends and a distal end portion which includes said distal end; said distal end portion being curved with such curve having an inside and an outside; a temperature sensor; means for mounting the temperature sensor on said distal end portion of the tube with at least a portion of the temperature sensor displaced radially from the longitudinal axis of the tube and being at a location in a zone which extends circumferentially of the tube for about 150 degrees and which extends into the outside of the curve for about 30 degrees whereby the temperature sensor can obtain temperature information about a fluid adjacent the temperature sensor; and means for transmitting the temperature information proximally of the temperature sensor along the tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for making temperature measurements within the pulmonary artery of a patient comprising:
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an elongated flexible tube having a longitudinal axis, proximal and distal ends and a distal end portion which includes the distal end; said tube being sized to pass through a vein or an artery, the right atrium and the right ventricle to place at least the distal end portion in the pulmonary artery, said distal end portion being curved at least when it is in the pulmonary artery with such curve having an inside and an outside; a temperature sensor; means for mounting the temperature sensor on the distal end portion of the tube with at least a portion of the temperature sensor displaced radially from the longitudinal axis of the tube and with at least said portion of the temperature sensor being at a location in a zone which extends circumferentially of the tube for about 150 degrees, primarily faces anteriorly and extends into the outside of the curve about 30 degrees whereby the temperature sensor can obtain temperature information about fluid in the adjacent regions of the pulmonary artery; and means for transmitting the temperature information proximally of the temperature sensor along the tube. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of making temperature measurements within the pulmonary artery of a patient comprising:
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providing an elongated flexible tube sized to pass through a vein and into the heart with the tube having a longitudinal axis, proximal and distal ends, a distal end portion which includes said distal end, and a temperature sensor mounted on the distal end portion with at least a portion of the temperature sensor displaced axially from the longitudinal axis of the tube; inserting the tube through a vein, the right atrium and the right ventricle to place the distal end portion and the temperature sensor in the pulmonary artery with the distal end portion being curved in the pulmonary artery and with such curve having an inside and an outside; orienting the distal end portion in the pulmonary artery so that the temperature sensor is in a zone which extends circumferentially of the tube for about 150 degrees, primarily faces anteriorly and extends into the outside of the curve no more than about 30 degrees whereby the temperature sensor is less likely to contact pulmonary artery wall and the temperature sensor can obtain temperature information about fluid in the pulmonary artery; and transmitting the temperature information proximally of the temperature sensor along the tube. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification