Forward-scanning ultrasound catheter probe

• US 6,200,269 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diasonics Ultrasound, Inc. (IDB Holding Corporation Limited)
• Original Assignee: Diasonics Ultrasound, Inc. (IDB Holding Corporation Limited)
• Inventors: Erikson, Kenneth R., Lin, Gregory Sharat
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/087,463
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 600/444, 600/445, 600/446, 600/462-467
• US Class Current: 600/466
• 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 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe

Abstract

A forward-scanning ultrasound catheter probe. An ultrasound catheter probe includes a forward-scanning transducer positioned at the tip of the probe. As such, the forward-scanning transducer may provide images of structures that may lie ahead of the tip of the probe. Furthermore, the forward-scanning transducer is repositioned by a drive mechanism coupled to the front-scanning transducer to provide a sector scan. In one embodiment, a bimorph piezoelectric drive is utilized to sweep the forward-scanning transducer across an arc to provide an imaging area associated with a sector scan.

Claims

1. An ultrasound probe comprising:

a distal end that defines a tip of said ultrasound probe;

a forward-scanning transducer positioned at said tip of said ultrasound probe;

a drive, coupled to said forward-scanning transducer, to sweep said forward-scanning transducer across a sector, said drive comprises a piezoelectric drive assembly; and

a side-scanning transducer positioned behind said forward-scanning transducer, relative to said tip of said ultrasound probe.

2. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising:

a sheath, defining a stem of said probe, said sheath enclosing said forward-scanning transducer and said drive.

3. The ultrasound probe of claim 2, further comprising:

a base piece, coupled to said drive.

4. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric drive assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein at least one of said first and second portions is coupled to an electric conductor.

5. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising a power supply, coupled to said electric conductor, to generate a piezoelectric effect to change a position of said forward-scanning transducer to scan said sector.

6. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic backing, coupled to said forward-scanning transducer.

7. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising a guidewire coupled to said probe.

8. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising a fiberoptic laser angioplasty cable coupled to said probe.

9. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising a rotary drive, coupled to said side-scanning transducer, to rotate said side-scanning transducer.

10. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic backing, coupled to said side-scanning transducer.

11. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein said drive comprises a thermomotive drive.

12. An ultrasound catheter probe comprising:

a distal end that defines a tip of said ultrasound catheter probe;

a pivot, positioned substantially at said tip of said ultrasound catheter probe;

a forward-scanning transducer, coupled to said pivot;

a piezoelectric drive, coupled to said pivot; and

a side-scanning transducer coupled to said forward-scanning transducer, relative to said tip of said ultrasound catheter probe.

13. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising:

a sheath, defining a stem of said probe, said sheath enclosing said pivot, said forward-scanning transducer and said piezoelectric drive.

14. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising:

a base piece, coupled to said piezoelectric drive.

15. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, wherein said piezoelectric drive comprises a first and a second layer to provide differential expansion and contraction, respectively, to curve said piezoelectric drive in response to an electrical voltage.

16. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, wherein said piezoelectric drive assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein at least one of said first and second portions is coupled to an electric conductor.

17. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 16, further comprising a power supply, coupled to said electric conductor, to provide a controlled piezoelectric effect that causes said pivot to move in a stepped manner to reposition said forward-scanning transducer to angularly scan across an arc to produce a sector imaging area.

18. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising an acoustic damping backing, coupled to said forward-scanning transducer.

19. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising a channel to accommodate a guidewire.

20. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising a channel to accommodate a fiberoptic laser angioplasty cable.

21. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising a rotary drive, coupled to said side-scanning transducer, to incrementally rotate said side-scanning transducer.

22. The ultrasound catheter probe of claim 12, further comprising an acoustic damping backing, coupled to said side-scanning transducer.

23. A method for providing ultrasound images from an ultrasound catheter probe, said method comprising:

providing a forward-scanning transducer at a tip of said ultrasound catheter probe;

repositioning said forward-scanning transducer to generate sector image information, said forward-scanning transducer to generate said sector image information comprises a piezoelectric driving force to move said forward-scanning transducer; and

generating another set of image information based on signals from a side-scanning transducer included in said ultrasound catheter probe.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising performing acoustic damping by providing an acoustic damping to said forward-scanning transducer.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising guiding an instrument through a channel of said ultrasound catheter probe.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said instrument comprises a fiberoptic laser angioplasty cable.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising guiding positioning of said ultrasound catheter probe in a body by a guidewire.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising repositioning said side-scanning transducer by a rotary drive, coupled to said side-scanning transducer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein repositioning of said side-scanning transducer provides circular image information.

30. An ultrasound probe for providing ultrasound image information, said ultrasound probe comprising:

a first means for providing forward-scanning from a tip of said ultrasound probe;

a second means for repositioning said first means for providing a sector scan; and

a third means for side-scanning transducer positioned behind said first means forward-scanning t, relative to said tip of said ultrasound probe.

31. The ultrasound probe of claim 30, further comprising a display means for providing images associated with said sector scan.