Rotatable ultrasound imaging catheter
First Claim
1. An ultrasound catheter comprising an elongate transducer cable having at its distal end an ultrasound transducer array and a guide wire channel defining an axis of rotation of said transducer array, wherein a guide wire inserted into said channel serves as an axle about which said transducer array rotates,wherein said array rotates about the guide wire in response to a rotational force applied to a proximal end of said transducer cable to insonify a plurality of successive two-dimensional images suitable for forming a three-dimensional image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound catheter including a flexible, torsionally-rigid elongate transducer cable having proximal and distal ends, with a transducer housing fixably connected proximate to the distal end. An ultrasound transducer, having a substantially planar surface and a scan plane substantially perpendicular to the planar surface, is fixably connected to a first side of the transducer housing to provide a predetermined two-dimensional cross-sectional image corresponding to an angular position of the ultrasound transducer. The transducer generates a series of successive two-dimensional cross-sectional images. In one embodiment, the ultrasound transducer is a linear array transducer which produces a substantially rectangular scan plane. A guide wire sleeve which is fixably connected to a second side of the housing substantially opposing the first side, causes the transducer to follow a predetermined rotational path around the guide wire when a torque is applied to the proximal end of the transducer cable. The guide wire sleeve is preferably configured to insure that the planar surface of the ultrasound transducer is maintained in substantial parallel relationship with the guide wire positioned within the sleeve. An ultrasound imaging system comprising the ultrasound catheter also includes a positioning system coupled to the proximal end of the transducer cable. The positioning system applies a torque to the proximal end of the cable to rotate the array about an axis defined by the guide wire channel. A controller rotates the array between successive image scans and forms a three-dimensional image using the plurality of two-dimensional cross-sectional images generated by the array.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An ultrasound catheter comprising an elongate transducer cable having at its distal end an ultrasound transducer array and a guide wire channel defining an axis of rotation of said transducer array, wherein a guide wire inserted into said channel serves as an axle about which said transducer array rotates,
wherein said array rotates about the guide wire in response to a rotational force applied to a proximal end of said transducer cable to insonify a plurality of successive two-dimensional images suitable for forming a three-dimensional image.
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12. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
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an ultrasound catheter having secured adjacent to a distal end of a flexible, torsionally-rigid transducer cable a rotatable transducer array and a guide wire sleeve having a guide wire channel defining an axis of rotation of said transducer array, and configured to enable said transducer array to travel in a predetermined path around an axle formed by a guide wire within said channel; a positioning system for applying a torque to a proximal end of said transducer cable to rotate said array about an axis defined by said guide wire channel to provide a plurality of two-dimensional cross-sectional images; and a controller for forming a three-dimensional image from said plurality of two-dimensional cross-sectional images. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for performing ultrasound imaging, comprising the steps of:
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(a) articulating a guide wire through a circulatory system to position a distal end of the guide wire at a desired location; (b) inserting a proximal end of said guide wire through a guide wire channel on a distal end of an elongate transducer cable having an ultrasound transducer proximate said distal end of said cable; (c) causing said transducer cable to travel over said guide wire to arrive at a location proximate said desired location; and (d) applying a torque to a distal end of said cable to cause said ultrasound transducer to rotate about an axis of rotation defined by the guide wire to obtain a plurality of two-dimensional cross-sectional images, each corresponding to an angular position of said ultrasound transducer, wherein the guide wire serves as an axle about which said transducer rotates when said guide wire is positioned within said guide wire channel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification