Doppler catheter
First Claim
1. A steerable angioplasty catheter for measuring the velocity of blood in a vessel, which is operable to expand or occlude a region of stenosis in the vessel, comprising:
- an elongated, flexible body having a distal end;
structure defining a first passageway longitudinally disposed within said body;
structure defining a second passageway longitudinally disposed within said body;
Doppler means for determining the velocity of the blood when the catheter is in the vessel, includinga Doppler crystal attached to the body adjacent the distal end,lead means connected to the crystal and operably disposed within said first passageway, said first passageway extending substantially along the entire length of the body and sealed from exposure to the blood when the catheter is in the vessel to isolate the lead means from the blood, andthe second passageway being adapted for exposure to the blood when the catheter is in the vessel for shiftably receiving a guide wire therethrough to allow positioning of said distal end in the vessel; and
expansion means operably coupled to said body for placement in the region of stenosis and operable for selectably exerting outward pressure against said region of stenosis to distend the region of stenosis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A steerable catheter having a Doppler crystal at the tip to measure the velocity of blood in vivo--and inferentially the blood flow. The catheter includes two passageways, one passageway being exposed to the blood stream with the other passageway containing the electrical leads to the Doppler crystal. The one passageway is dimensioned for receiving a wire guide for accurately manipulating the catheter. Preferably, the catheter incorporates an inflatable angio-balloon operable to distend the blood vessel in the region of a stenosis. Thus, blood flow can be determined in the region of the stenosis before and/or after the vessel is distended. The passageways are preferably defined by a pair of generally concentric tubes with the Doppler crystal doughnut-shaped and sealingly disposed at the tip of the catheter.
211 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A steerable angioplasty catheter for measuring the velocity of blood in a vessel, which is operable to expand or occlude a region of stenosis in the vessel, comprising:
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an elongated, flexible body having a distal end; structure defining a first passageway longitudinally disposed within said body; structure defining a second passageway longitudinally disposed within said body; Doppler means for determining the velocity of the blood when the catheter is in the vessel, including a Doppler crystal attached to the body adjacent the distal end, lead means connected to the crystal and operably disposed within said first passageway, said first passageway extending substantially along the entire length of the body and sealed from exposure to the blood when the catheter is in the vessel to isolate the lead means from the blood, and the second passageway being adapted for exposure to the blood when the catheter is in the vessel for shiftably receiving a guide wire therethrough to allow positioning of said distal end in the vessel; and expansion means operably coupled to said body for placement in the region of stenosis and operable for selectably exerting outward pressure against said region of stenosis to distend the region of stenosis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A steerable, flow-velocity determining, angioplasty catheter which is selectively positionable in the coronary arterial tree and operable to distend or occlude a portion of a blood vessel and to measure the velocity of the blood through the vessel, the catheter comprising:
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an elongated, flexible, tubular outer body having a distal end and being operably manipulable in the blood vessel; a channel structure operably received and generally longitudinally aligned within said body, said channel structure defining a lumen, a structure defining a passageway which, with the catheter inserted into the vessel, is adapted for operable communication with the blood within the vessel and for receiving a wire steering guide to selectively position said distal end in the vessel; expansion means attached to said body proximate to said distal end and operable with the catheter inserted in the vessel for expanding outwardly towards the adjacent portion of the blood vessel; and Doppler means for measuring the velocity of the blood through the vessel, including-- a Doppler crystal sealingly disposed between said body and channel structure adjacent said distal end, the Doppler crystal having a flat face oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said distal end of said body, the flat face defining an acoustic axis generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of said body so that the acoustic axis is manipulable into linear alignment with the blood flow axis in the vessel, and electrical leads connected to the crystal and disposed in said lumen in isolation from the blood with the catheter inserted in the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification