Doppler tip wire guide
First Claim
1. A blood velocity measuring wire guide adapted for operative coupling to a catheter, the wire guide comprising:
- an elongated flexible support wire having distal and proximal ends which is generally longitudinally inelastic and flexible for threaded engagement with the catheter;
Doppler means including a Doppler crystal mounted to the distal end of said wire for determining the velocity of the blood with the wire guide inserted in a blood vessel; and
electrical lead means operatively coupled to the Doppler means and coupled to said wire along its length.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An invasive, fluid velocity measuring wire guide particularly adapted and of a size (less than 0.030 inch) for subselective placement in the coronary arterial tree, which includes a Doppler mechanism for determining the blood flow velocity in the region of the distal end of the wire guide. Although the wire guide is particularly adapted for diagnosing coronary arterial disease subselectively; it is of such a size and manipulability to be useful in other blood flow and biological fluid flow analyses. Preferably, the wire guide if flexible and steerable for precise placement. The wire guide includes an elongated wire member having a Doppler crystal attached in longitudinal alignment at its distal end. Electrical leads extend from the Doppler crystal along the wire member to the appropriate test equipment for measuring the fluid flow velocity in the region of the Doppler crystal.
231 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A blood velocity measuring wire guide adapted for operative coupling to a catheter, the wire guide comprising:
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an elongated flexible support wire having distal and proximal ends which is generally longitudinally inelastic and flexible for threaded engagement with the catheter; Doppler means including a Doppler crystal mounted to the distal end of said wire for determining the velocity of the blood with the wire guide inserted in a blood vessel; and electrical lead means operatively coupled to the Doppler means and coupled to said wire along its length. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A fluid velocity measuring wire guide comprising:
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an elongated support wire which is generally inelastic and incompressible; a pair of electrical leads extending along the length of said support wire; an elongated insulator sheath surrounding the support wire and leads and having an outer diameter less than 0.030 inch; Doppler means for measuring the velocity of a fluid, including, a Doppler crystal coupled to the distal end of the sheath and operatively coupled to the electrical leads, such that with the Doppler crystal immersed in a fluid, the wire guide is operable for determining the velocity of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A fluid velocity measuring wire guide comprising:
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an elongated, flexible, helically wound spring coil defining a central passageway and having an outer diameter less than 0.030 inch; an elongated, inelastic, flexible fixed core wire secured to the distal and proximal ends of the spring coil to prevent elongation of the spring coil; Doppler means for determining the velocity of a fluid when immersed therein, including a Doppler crystal mounted to the distal end of the spring coil and electrical leads coupled to the Doppler crystal and received in said central passageway. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of determining the blood flow velocity subselectively in the coronary arterial tree comprising the steps of:
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inserting percutaneously a Doppler wire guide having a Doppler crystal coupled to its distal end into a blood vessel; inserting percutaneously a catheter into the blood vessel, the catheter and wire guide being in operable engagement for following the same path of travel in the blood vessel; manipulating the Doppler wire guide through the blood vessel; positioning the Doppler wire guide and catheter in a region of interest in the blood vessel; and measuring the blood flow velocity in said region with said Doppler wire guide operatively engaging said catheter including the substep of operating the Doppler means for determining blood velocity. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification