Intravascular imaging apparatus and methods for use and manufacture
First Claim
1. An imaging guide wire for navigating into small vessels of a person'"'"'s vasculature and imaging the small vessels from within, comprising:
- an elongate drive shaft at least a portion thereof defining an outside surface of said imaging guide wire and having dimensions suitable for positioning into small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature via a guide wire lumen of a conventional catheter, said elongate shaft having a size to be positioned in and advanced via the guide wire lumen of the conventional catheter into the small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature;
a transducer portion connected to the distal portion of the elongate shaft, said transducer portion also sized to be positioned into the small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature via the guide wire lumen of the conventional catheter;
said drive shaft and said transducer portion being removable with respect to the guide wire lumen of the conventional catheter;
a proximal section connected to the proximal end of the elongate shaft for transmission of electrical signals from a proximal control apparatus to the transducer via the elongate drive shaft and also to transmit mechanical energy from a proximal drive apparatus to the elongate drive shaft to rotate the transducer for imaging.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for ultrasonic imaging, and methods for the use an manufacture thereof, particularly of small coronary vessels. The device comprises an elongate member with a distal end that can be positioned within a small vessel of a patient'"'"'s body while a proximal end is located outside the body, a transducer located at a distal end of the elongate member and operable to scan the distal coronary vessels with ultrasonic pulses, and a signal processor connected to a proximal end of the elongate member and to the transducer for generating and receiving pulses to and from the transducer. A motor may be also connected to the proximal end of the elongate member for rotating the transducer.
754 Citations
61 Claims
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1. An imaging guide wire for navigating into small vessels of a person'"'"'s vasculature and imaging the small vessels from within, comprising:
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an elongate drive shaft at least a portion thereof defining an outside surface of said imaging guide wire and having dimensions suitable for positioning into small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature via a guide wire lumen of a conventional catheter, said elongate shaft having a size to be positioned in and advanced via the guide wire lumen of the conventional catheter into the small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature; a transducer portion connected to the distal portion of the elongate shaft, said transducer portion also sized to be positioned into the small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature via the guide wire lumen of the conventional catheter; said drive shaft and said transducer portion being removable with respect to the guide wire lumen of the conventional catheter; a proximal section connected to the proximal end of the elongate shaft for transmission of electrical signals from a proximal control apparatus to the transducer via the elongate drive shaft and also to transmit mechanical energy from a proximal drive apparatus to the elongate drive shaft to rotate the transducer for imaging. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for ultrasonic imaging of a region of the cardiovascular system of a person in conjunction with an interventional procedure, comprising the steps of:
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positioning a catheter having an interventional therapeutic device associated with a distal portion thereof for the purpose of performing a therapeutic procedure with the interventional therapeutic device at the region of the person'"'"'s vasculature, said catheter also having a lumen therein into which a guide wire can be received to position the catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature so that the distal portion is proximate to the site; positioning an imaging guide wire having an ultrasonic transducer at a distal end thereof into the patient'"'"'s vasculature through the lumen of the catheter having the interventional device associated therewith so that the ultrasonic transducer is located at the region of the person'"'"'s vasculature, said imaging guide wire being removable with respect to the interventional device; and scanning the region of the person'"'"'s vasculature with the imaging guide wire having the ultrasonic transducer at the distal end thereof by rotating the imaging guide wire with respect to the catheter with at least of portion of an exterior surface of the imaging guide wire rotates against the lumen of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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49. The method of claim further 40 comprising:
routing a sheath over the the imaging guide wire before the wire is rotated for imaging. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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56. In an imaging device for ultrasonic imaging of small vessels of a patient'"'"'s body, the imaging device having a transducer sized and adapted to be positioned intravascularly to scan small vessels of the patient'"'"'s body from within the small vessel, a drive cable having a distal end connected to the transducer and operable to transmit electrical signals to and from the transducer and to rotate the transducer to scan the vessel of the person'"'"'s body with ultrasonic waves, a signal processor adapted for generating and receiving signals to and from the transducer via the drive cable, and a motor adapted for connecting to the drive cable to rotate the transducer, a coupling member to connect a proximal drive cable to the signal processor and the motor, the coupling member comprising:
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a mechanical connector for releasably connecting the motor to a proximal end of the drive cable; a non-contacting signal transmission apparatus having; a rotating portion adapted to releasably connect to the proximal end of the drive cable; and a non-rotating portion connected to the signal processor and to transmit signals between said signal processor and the rotating portion, said rotating and said non-rotating portions not being in contact with each other along the signal transmission path. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. An imaging device for ultrasonic imaging of small vessels of a patient'"'"'s body, the imaging device connectable to a signal processor for generating and receiving signals scan the vessels with ultrasonic pulses from within, the imaging device comprising:
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a transducer sized to be positioned into the small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature to scan the person'"'"'s vasculature with ultrasonic pulses from within; an elongate drive shaft connected at a distal portion thereof to the transducer, said elongate drive shaft also having dimensions suitable for positioning into small vessels of the person'"'"'s vasculature, said elongate drive shaft adapted to transmit electrical signals therethrough between the signal processor and the transducer; and an information storage medium associated with the imaging device, said information storage medium adapted to store device specific information about the imaging device and be readable by the signal processor when the device is connected thereto. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61)
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Specification