Medical pressure sensing and display system

• US 5,009,662 A
• Filed: 03/23/1989
• Issued: 04/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Utah Medical Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Utah Medical Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Wallace, William D., Cutler, Christopher A., Gentry, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CERMAK, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US07/328,119
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 128/675, 128/748, 600/17, 600/18, 604/97-100, 606/191, 606/192, 606/194, 606/196
• US Class Current: 606/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0003 having an additional lumen transmitting fluid pressure to the outside for measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10187 Indicators for the level of inflation or deflation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10188 Inflation or deflation data displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

A fluid pressure monitoring system for a balloon catheter includes a pressure transducer in fluid communication with the interior of the balloon. The pressure transducer includes elements for providing an electrical signal which is a function of the pressure in the interior of the balloon. An electronic digital display is responsive to the electrical signal from the pressure transducer to display the balloon pressure measured by the pressure transducer. The system is especially suited for coronary angioplasty in which a catheter is inserted through blood vessels in the human body to the vicinity of a stenosis. The catheter carries an inflatable balloon to the vicinity of the stenosis, where it is inflated, and the fluid pressure monitoring system of the present invention detects and digitally displays to the cardiologist the pressure inside the inflated balloon. The pressure transducer is interchangeable with standard pressure transducers such as those used for monitoring substantially lower pressure such as a person'"'"'s blood pressure and the digital display is also used to display a person'"'"'s blood pressure. Alternatively, the balloon pressure transducer may be used with standard blood pressure monitors.

Claims

1. A system for measuring fluid pressure in a balloon of a catheter, said balloon being adapted for inflation inside a human body, said catheter having an inflation lumen providing a fluid path between the interior of the balloon and an external source of fluid for inflating the balloon, the improvement comprising:

a pressure transducer means in fluid communication with the interior of the balloon for providing an electrical signal output which is a function of the pressure in the interior of the balloon, a blood pressure readout transducer the output of said pressure transducer means being communicated with said blood pressure readout transducer generally used for monitoring a person'"'"'s blood pressure; and

electronic digital display means calibrated to indicate blood pressure in mm Hg operatively associated with said blood pressure readout transducer and responsive to said electrical signal output from said pressure transducer for displaying a numerical value of said balloon pressure measured by said pressure transducer, which numerical value will correspond to the balloon pressure in psi units.

2. A system for measuring fluid pressure in a balloon of a catheter, said balloon being adapted for inflation inside a human body, said catheter having an inflation lumen providing a fluid path between the interior of the balloon and an external source of fluid for inflating the balloon, the improvement comprising:

pressure transducer means in fluid communication with the interior of the balloon for providing an electrical signal which is s function of the pressure in the interior of the balloon;

electronic means operatively connected to said pressure transducer and responsive to the electrical signal representative of balloon pressure to generate an electronic pressure signal, said electronic means also generating an electronic time duration signal responsive to the start of pressurization of the balloon to represent the elapsed time from the start of balloon pressurization; and

display means operatively connected to said electronic means and responsive to said electronic pressure and time duration signals generated by said electronic means to simultaneously display the balloon pressure measured by the transducer means and the elapsed time of balloon pressurization as two separate display outputs.