Modular imaging/treatment catheter assembly

• US 6,080,109 A
• Filed: 01/21/1999
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Endosonics Corporation (JOMED NV)
• Inventors: Baker, Bruce A., Varney, Clifford R., Eberle, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/234,967
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439, 600/459, 600/462-463, 600/466-467, 600/471, 600/585
• US Class Current: 600/463
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

Catheter assembly in which an imaging transducer is positioned proximally of a treatment device at the distal end of a catheter. Unrestricted flow between a fluid lumen in the catheter and the treatment device is provided by an annular passageway formed between the walls of a marker tube which extends through the transducer and a guide wire tube which passes through the marker tube, and by a plenum chamber which is formed between the distal end of the catheter and the proximal end of the marker tube in communication with the fluid lumen and the flow passageway. The catheter, the treatment device, and the transducer are all constructed as individual modular units which can be assembled together as desired to form the assembly.

Claims

1. An imaging catheter assembly, comprising:

a catheter having a guide wire lumen and a fluid lumen which open through a distal end thereof;

an ultrasound imaging transducer positioned distally of the catheter and having a flow passageway; and

a plenum chamber providing communication between the fluid lumen in the catheter and the flow passageway in the transducer.

2. The imaging catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the plenum chamber has a substantially annular cross-section.

3. The imaging catheter assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a treatment device; and

an axially extending guide wire tube affixed to the treatment device;

the guide wire tube being connected to the distal end of the catheter in alignment with the guide wire lumen to form a continuous passageway for a guide wire.

4. The imaging catheter assembly of claim 3 wherein the flow passageway in the ultrasound imaging transducer is in communication with the treatment device.

5. The imaging catheter assembly of claim 3 wherein the ultrasound imaging transducer is located proximal to the treatment device.

6. The imaging catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow passageway in the ultrasound imaging transducer is formed by a metal marker tube which extends coaxially of the ultrasound imaging transducer.

7. The imaging catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound imaging transducer is removably connected to the catheter.

8. A modular imaging/treatment catheter assembly, comprising:

a catheter having a guide wire lumen and a fluid lumen which open through a distal end thereof;

an ultrasound imaging transducer positioned distally of the catheter and having a flow passageway;

a treatment device located distally of the ultrasound imaging transducer and having a guide wire lumen; and

a connector for removably coupling the treatment device to the ultrasound imaging transducer such that when the ultrasound imaging transducer and the treatment device are coupled together the guide wire lumen in the treatment device and the guide wire lumen in the catheter form a continuous passageway for a guide wire.

9. The modular imaging/treatment catheter assembly of claim 8 wherein the guide wire lumen in the treatment device is formed by an axially extending tube attached to the treatment device.

10. The modular imaging/treatment catheter assembly of claim 8 wherein the catheter and the ultrasound imaging transducer are removably connected to each other by a second connector.

11. The modular imaging/treatment catheter assembly of claim 8 wherein the treatment device is an angioplasty balloon.