Thermography catheter

• US 6,245,026 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volcano Therapeutics, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Farallon Medsystems, Inc.
• Inventors: Rahdert, David A., Campbell, Thomas H., Sweet, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINGOOD, PAMELA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/346,072
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 600/585, 600/555, 600/549, 606/28
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon
• 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 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1002 Intraluminal radiation therapy

Abstract

A variety of improved thermal mapping catheters are disclosed which are capable of sensing and mapping thermal variations within body vessels. In embodiments directed at vascular applications, the catheters are capable of detecting temperature variations in atherosclerotic plaque, on the atherosclerotic plaque surface, and on the arterial wall of aneurysms and other vascular lesions of the human vasculature. In one aspect of the invention, a combined thermal mapping and drug delivery catheter is provided. In this embodiment a plurality of thermal sensors are combined with at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic agents into a vessel. In some embodiments, at least some of the infusion ports are located between adjacent thermal sensors. The described catheters may be used in a variety of new applications and medical diagnostic and treatment techniques.

Claims

1. A catheter suitable for measuring the temperature of a vessel wall in the body of a patient, the catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a plurality of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into;

an expansion device carried by the flexible tubular member that carries the thermal sensors, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensors adjacent the vessel wall; and

a sheath/member that covers the thermal sensors such that at least some of the thermal sensors are positioned between the expansion device and the sheath/member when the thermal sensors are positioned for detecting the temperature of the vessel wall.

2. A catheter suitable for measuring the temperature of a vessel wall in the body of a patient, the catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a plurality of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into;

a first balloon carried by the flexible tubular member that carries the thermal sensors, the first balloon being suitable for positioning the thermal sensors adjacent the vessel wall; and

a second balloon material that covers the thermal sensors such that the thermal sensors are positioned between the first balloon and the second balloon material; and

wherein the thermal sensors are sandwiched between the first balloon and the second balloon material.

3. A thermal mapping and drug delivery system including:

an elongated a catheter comprising flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends,

a plurality of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the natural temperature of the wall of a vessel the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into to facilitate thermal mapping of the vessel to identify naturally occurring temperature variation in the vessel wall, and

at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel, and a display device arranged to receive signals from the thermal sensors and display a thermal map of a longitudinal section of the vessel that shows temperature variations along the vessel.

4. A combined thermal mapping and drug delivery catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a plurality of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into;

at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel; and

wherein at least some of the infusion ports are located between adjacent thermal sensors.

5. A combined thermal mapping and therapeutic agent delivery system including comprising:

a catheter comprising an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends,

a multiplicity of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the natural temperature of the wall of a vessel that the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into to facilitate thermal mapping of the vessel to identify naturally occurring temperature variation in the vessel wall, wherein a plurality of the thermal sensors are longitudinally spaced,

an expansion device carried by the flexible tubular member, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensors against the vessel wall, and

at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel, the infusion port being positioned between selected thermal sensors to facilitate delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel in the region of the thermal sensors, and a display device arranged to receive signals from the thermal sensors and display a thermal map of a longitudinal section of the vessel that shows temperature variations along the vessel.

6. A combined thermal mapping and therapeutic agent delivery catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a multiplicity of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel that the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into, wherein a plurality of the thermal sensors are longitudinally spaced;

an expansion device carried by the flexible tubular member, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensors against the vessel wall;

at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel, the infusion port being positioned between selected thermal sensors to facilitate delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel in the region of the thermal sensors; and

wherein at least some of the infusion ports are located longitudinally between selected ones of the thermal sensors.

7. A combined thermal mapping and therapeutic agent delivery catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a multiplicity of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel that the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into, wherein a plurality of the thermal sensors are arranged in a plurality of longitudinally spaced bands, with each band having a plurality of circumferentially spaced thermal sensors;

an expansion device carried by the flexible tubular member, the expansion device being suitable for positioning at least some of the thermal sensors against the vessel wall; and

a plurality of infusion ports suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel in the region of the thermal sensors, wherein at least some of the infusion ports are located between adjacent thermal sensor bands.

8. A combined thermal mapping and therapeutic agent delivery catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a multiplicity of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel that the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into, wherein a plurality of the thermal sensors are longitudinally spaced;

an expansion device carried by the flexible tubular member, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensors against the vessel wall, wherein the expansion device is arranged to include a plurality of recesses in an expanded position; and

at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel, wherein the infusion ports open into the recesses and are positioned between selected thermal sensors to facilitate delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel in the region of the thermal sensors.

9. A combined thermal mapping and therapeutic agent delivery catheter as recited in claim 8 wherein the expansion device includes a balloon arrangement and the recesses extend circumferentially around the balloon arrangement.

10. A combined thermal mapping and therapeutic agent delivery catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a multiplicity of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel that the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into, wherein a plurality of the thermal sensors are longitudinally spaced;

an expansion device carried by the flexible tubular member, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensors against the vessel wall; and

at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel, the infusion port being positioned between selected thermal sensors to facilitate delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel in the region of the thermal sensors;

a fluid delivery channel for delivering the therapeutic agents to the infusion port; and

a reversible pump coupled to a proximal end of the fluid delivery channel to facilitate pumping the therapeutic agents into a vessel in the region of the thermal sensors, and thereafter withdrawing the therapeutic agents.

11. A thermal mapping catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a plurality of thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into; and

at least one anchoring balloon positioned either proximally or distally of the plurality of thermal sensors, the anchoring balloon being suitable for inflation during temperature sensing to occlude the flow of blood through the vessel.

12. A thermal mapping catheter as recited in claim 11 wherein a pair of anchoring balloons are provided, a first one of the anchoring balloons being positioned distally of the thermal sensors and a second one of the anchoring balloons being positioned proximally of the thermal sensors, the anchoring balloons being suitable for cooperating to isolate a segment of the vessel in the region of the thermal sensors.

13. A thermal mapping catheter as recited in claim 12 further comprising at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into the vessel.

14. A method of obtaining a fluid specimen comprising:

inserting a catheter into a vessel;

using the catheter to detect the temperature of vessel walls to identify a target region within the vessel; and

using the catheter to obtain a fluid specimen from the target region of the vessel.

15. A method of obtaining a fluid specimen as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of isolating a vessel segment prior to obtaining the fluid specimen, wherein the fluid specimen is taken from the isolated vessel segment.

16. A method of treating vulnerable plaque comprising the steps of:

inserting a catheter into an artery;

using the catheter to detect the temperature of walls of the artery to identify a target region of vulnerable plaque; and

applying a radioactive fluid to the target region of vulnerable plaque using the catheter to facilitate treatment of the vulnerable plaque.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the radioactive fluid is administered in a manner such that not more than about ten Gray of gamma or beta radiation is delivered to the target region of vulnerable plaque.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the radioactive fluid further includes one selected from the group consisting of:

antibodies, anti-inflammatory agents and antithrombotic agents.

19. A catheter suitable for measuring the temperature of a vessel wall in the body of a patient, the catheter comprising:

an elongated flexible tubular member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends;

a plurality of independent longitudinally spaced thermal sensors suitable for detecting the temperature of the wall of a vessel that the elongated flexible tubular member is inserted into, the thermal sensors being arranged to output signals suitable to provide a thermal map of a longitudinal section of the vessel.

20. A thermal mapping system including:

catheter as recited in claim 19; and

a display device arranged to receive the signals from the thermal sensors and display a thermal map of a longitudinal section of the vessel that shows temperature variations along the vessel.