Body lumen measuring instrument

• US 5,010,892 A
• Filed: 05/04/1988
• Issued: 04/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University The A Non-Profit Corporation of Maryland, Medical Evaluation Devices & Instruments Corp., Pyramid Technologies International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gulf Research and Development Company, Johns Hopkins University, Medical Evaluation Devices & Instruments Corp.
• Inventors: Marsh, Bernard R., Rizzo, Ronald R., Orlosky, Mark E., Kline, William M., Colvin, David P., Whitney, Raymond A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reichle, K. M.
• Application Number:
  US07/189,998
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 128/772, 128/774-781, 128/207.15, 128/341, 128/345, 604/100, 604/104-107, 604/163, 604/164, 604/170, 604/171, 604/280
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence

Abstract

A body lumen measuring instrument for insertion into a body passageway such as a bronchial tube or the like in order to determine the interior lumen diameter and/or axial length of the passageway at a predetermined location. This instrument can also be used to aid selection of a radioisotope capsule of proper size to be properly positioned at a specific location for tumor treatment. The measuring instrument includes a flexible sleeve having a handle secured to one end. A cable is slidably positioned within the sleeve and secured at one end to a slide actuator within the handle and at the other end terminates in a probe adapted for determining body passageway size under endoscopic observation. A measurement scale is associated with an indicator on the slide actuator in order to display the passageway size.

Claims

1. An instrument for determining size characteristics of body lumens or passageways or the like and comprising:

an elongated flexible sleeve adapted to be inserted into a body lumen or passageway or the like;

a handle secured to one end of said flexible sleeve;

an elongated cable slidably received within said sleeve and including probe means for determining body lumen or passageway or the like size characteristics at one end thereof;

means cooperatively associated with said handle for sliding said cable within said sleeve so as to selectively extend and withdraw said probe means from the other end of the sleeve, wherein said elongated cable comprises a first cable, wherein said probe means comprises at least one resilient wire connected at one end thereof to said cable and having a normally curved shape so that said at least one wire extends generally radially outwardly from the other end of said flexible sleeve remote from said handle when extended by said sliding means, wherein said elongated cable further comprises a second cable and wherein said probe means also comprises at least one resilient wire connected at one end thereof to said second cable and extending generally coaxially outwardly from the end of said flexible sleeve when extended by said sliding means; and

measurement means mounted on said handle and cooperatively associated with said cable sliding means for measuring movement by said probe means.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein each of said resilient wires includes an enlarged spherically-shaped element at its free end.