Single sensor pressure differential device
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing the fluid pressure differential between two spaced apart locations in a fluid-filled biological vessel, comprising:
- an elongated housing;
transducer means coupled to the ho using at a first location for sensing fluid pressure, and having a member which deforms in response to a fluid pressure differential thereacross and elongated leads operatively coupled to the member, the member presenting opposed outer and inner surfaces;
an elongated catheter body coupled to the housing for receiving the leads; and
structure defining a conduit coupled to the housing and having one end opening at a second location spaced from the first location and the other end adjoining the inner surface of the member,the housing being adapted for immersion in a fluid-filled biological vessel, with the housing immersed in the vessel, the second location being disposed within the biological vessel and the transducer means being operable for sensing the pressure differential between the fluid adjoining the outer surface of the transducer means and the fluid within the conduit adjoining the inner surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for sensing in vivo the fluid pressure differential between spaced locations in a biological fluid vessel using a single pressure transducer. The transducer has a deformable member mounted to a housing; a conduit extends within the housing with one end opening at a location spaced from the transducer and the other end opening adjoining the inner surface of the member. With the housing inserted in the biological fluid vessel, the outer surface of the deformable member is exposed to the fluid pressure adjacent the member, while the inner surface is exposed to the fluid pressure within the conduit. The deformable member flexes in response to the fluid pressure differential across the member, which is a direct measure of the fluid pressure differential between spaced-apart locations in the fluid-filled vessel. Strain gauges are mounted to the member to generate a signal indicative of the pressure differential, with electrical leads coupled to the strain gauges and received in a catheter threaded in the vessel. In a preferred embodiment, the transducer is mounted proximal to an angioplasty balloon and the conduit opens distal to the balloon. This arrangement can give a pressure differential across a lesion with the balloon positioned adjacent the lesion in the coronary arterial tree. This pressure differential apparatus is not only reliable, durable, and accurate, but also permits reduced catheter size and profile facilitating insertion and manipulation in blood vessels.
204 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing the fluid pressure differential between two spaced apart locations in a fluid-filled biological vessel, comprising:
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an elongated housing; transducer means coupled to the ho using at a first location for sensing fluid pressure, and having a member which deforms in response to a fluid pressure differential thereacross and elongated leads operatively coupled to the member, the member presenting opposed outer and inner surfaces; an elongated catheter body coupled to the housing for receiving the leads; and structure defining a conduit coupled to the housing and having one end opening at a second location spaced from the first location and the other end adjoining the inner surface of the member, the housing being adapted for immersion in a fluid-filled biological vessel, with the housing immersed in the vessel, the second location being disposed within the biological vessel and the transducer means being operable for sensing the pressure differential between the fluid adjoining the outer surface of the transducer means and the fluid within the conduit adjoining the inner surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of sensing the pressure differential between two spaced-apart locations in a biological fluid-filled vessel comprising the steps of:
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providing a pressure sensor having a transducer, a catheter body coupled to the transducer, and an elongated conduit having one end adjoining the transducer and another end spaced from the transducer; inserting the sensor into the vessel with a portion of the catheter body extending externally from the vessel; manipulating the sensor to a region of interest in the vessel including the substeps of positioning the transducer at a first location in the vessel and positioning the conduit other end at a second location in the vessel spaced from the first location; filling the conduit with fluid so that the fluid-filled conduit is indicative of the fluid pressure at the second location; and sensing, with the transducer positioned in the region of interest and the conduit filled with fluid, the pressure differential between the fluid adjoining one side of the transducer in the vessel at said first location and the fluid at said second location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An angioplasty catheter for sensing the blood pressure differential between spaced locations in a blood vessel, comprising:
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an elongated catheter body; a housing coupled to one end of the catheter body and adapted to be received in the blood vessel; a guidewire-receiving passage coupled to the housing; dilation means coupled to the housing and having a balloon selectably outwardly expandable from the housing; and means coupled to the housing for sensing the pressure differential between locations on each side of the balloon with the housing received in the blood vessel, including-- a deformable member mounted to the housing proximal relative to the balloon and having an outer surface oriented outwardly away from the housing and an inner surface oriented inwardly into the housing, a conduit coupled to the housing having one end opening at a location distal relative to the balloon and another end adjoining the inner surface of the member, and means coupled to the member for indicating the deformation of the member in response to a blood pressure differential across the member, the indicating means including elongated electrical leads received in the catheter body. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In an elongated catheter having distal and proximal ends and a housing at the distal end adapted for insertion in a fluid-filled biological vessel, a pressure sensor wherein the improvement comprises:
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a deformable member mounted to the housing at a first location and having outer and inner surfaces, an elongated conduit having one end opening at a second location spaced from the first location and another end adjoining said member inner surface, the member and conduit being cooperatively operable, when inserted in a fluid-filled vessel with the first and second locations disposed within the vessel, for the member to deform in response to a fluid pressure differential between the fluid proximate said first location and the fluid proximate said second location. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification