Steering mechanism and steering line for a catheter-mounted ultrasonic transducer
First Claim
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1. An ultrasonic transducer comprising:
- an elongated catheter adapted to be inserted into a blood vessel and comprising a distal end portion and a proximal end portion;
a phased array of ultrasonic transducer elements carried by the catheter adjacent the distal end portion, said phased array firing asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis of the catheter adjacent the distal end portion;
a first set of steering lines carried by the catheter and secured to the catheter near the distal end portion, said first set of steering lines effective to steer the distal end portion in a first plane; and
a second set of steering lines carried by the catheter and secured to the catheter near the distal end portion, said second set of steering lines effective to steer the distal end in a second plane, different than the first plane.
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Abstract
An ultrasonic transducer includes an elongated catheter that carries a phased linear array of ultrasonic transducer elements at a distal end. This array is aligned with the azimuthal axis of the array oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the catheter near the distal end. Two sets of steering lines are carried by the catheter and coupled to the catheter near the distal end. The first set of steering lines is effective to steer the distal end in a first plane, and the second set of steering lines is effective to steer the distal end in a second plane, transverse to the first plane.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic transducer comprising:
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an elongated catheter adapted to be inserted into a blood vessel and comprising a distal end portion and a proximal end portion; a phased array of ultrasonic transducer elements carried by the catheter adjacent the distal end portion, said phased array firing asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis of the catheter adjacent the distal end portion; a first set of steering lines carried by the catheter and secured to the catheter near the distal end portion, said first set of steering lines effective to steer the distal end portion in a first plane; and a second set of steering lines carried by the catheter and secured to the catheter near the distal end portion, said second set of steering lines effective to steer the distal end in a second plane, different than the first plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification