Ultrasonically marked cardiac catheters
First Claim
1. A catheter comprising a substantially cylindrical wall and a hollow lumen, said wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said wall being made of an ultrasonically transparent and electrically insulating material, said wall including a substantially tubular ultrasonic receiver means disposed therein, said receiver means spaced from said inner surface and said outer surface of said wall, said receiver means including electrical connector means extending longitudinally within said wall, said receiver means including at least a first and second ultrasonic receiver, said receivers being disposed in said wall at longitudinally spaced positions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The hollow cylindrical wall of the catheter is composed of flexible, electrically insulating, ultrasonically transparent material. Embedded therein are spaced tubular-shaped ultrasonic piezoelectric transducers which substantially surround the lumen. The transducers receive signals from the imaging transducer on the body surface and serve to establish catheter location within the body during a diagnostic procedure. Electrical connector leads from the transducers are embedded in the wall and connected to a signal processor which provides an output for incorporation into the display of an echocardiograph image display system.
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Citations
7 Claims
- 1. A catheter comprising a substantially cylindrical wall and a hollow lumen, said wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said wall being made of an ultrasonically transparent and electrically insulating material, said wall including a substantially tubular ultrasonic receiver means disposed therein, said receiver means spaced from said inner surface and said outer surface of said wall, said receiver means including electrical connector means extending longitudinally within said wall, said receiver means including at least a first and second ultrasonic receiver, said receivers being disposed in said wall at longitudinally spaced positions.
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4. A catheter system comprising:
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a catheter, said catheter including a substantially cylindrical wall and a hollow lumen, said wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said wall being made of an ultrasonically transparent and electrically insulating material, said wall including at least one ultrasonic receiver means disposed therein, said receiver comprising a single substantially tubular ultrasonic transducer, said receiver spaced from said inner surface and said outer surface of said wall, said receiver including electrical connector means extending longitudinally within said wall; a signal processing means operably connectable to said electrical connector means; and an imaging and display means for displaying an image, said imaging and display means being operably connectable to said signal processing means, said signal processing means providing an output for incorporation into said image displayed. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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- 6. A cardiac catheter comprising a substantially cylindrical wall and a hollow lumen, said wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said wall being made of an ultrasonically transparent and electrically insulating material, said wall including a substantially tubular ultrasonic receiver means disposed therein, said receiver means spaced from said inner surface and said outer surface, said receiver means including electrical connector means extending longitudinally within said wall, said receiver means including at least a first and second ultrasonic receiver, said receivers being disposed in said wall at longitudinally spaced positions.
Specification