Intravascular imaging guidewire

• US 6,261,246 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Pantages, Anthony J., Belef, William Martin, Koger, James D., Wasicek, Lawrence D., Mamayek, Donald S., Roe, Steven Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/162,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 600/424, 600/466, 600/467, 600/434, 600/462, 600/463, 600/433, 600/459, 600/585
• US Class Current: 600/585
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

An intravascular imaging guidewire which can accomplish longitudinal translation of an imaging plane allowing imaging of an axial length of a region of interest without moving the guidewire. The imaging guidewire comprises a body in the form of a flexible elongate tubular member. An elongate flexible imaging core is slidably received within the body. The imaging core includes a shaft having an imaging device mounted on its distal end. The body and the imaging core are cooperatively constructed to enable axial translation of the imaging core and imaging device relative to the body. The body has a transparent distal portion extending an axial length over which axially translatable imaging may be performed. The imaging guidewire has a maximum diameter over its entire length sized to be received within a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter.

Claims

1. An imaging guidewire comprising:

a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to imaging energy;

a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging device adapted to receive imaging energy related to internal body structures and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor;

the imaging guidewire having a maximum diameter along its entire length not exceeding that which can effectively receive a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter;

wherein said imaging core is axially translatable relative to said body to enable axial translation of said imaging device; and

a connector on the proximal end of the shaft adapted to provide only a mechanical connection to a mating connector on a drive unit.

2. The imaging guidewire of claim 1 wherein said maximum diameter of the imaging guidewire is 0.035″

.

3. The imaging guidewire of claim 2 wherein said imaging core is rotatable within said body, said shaft is a drive shaft for rotating said imaging device and said connector is detachably connectable with a mating connector to engage a drive unit to rotate said drive shaft.

4. The imaging guidewire of claim 3 wherein said imaging device comprises an ultrasound transducer arranged to transmit an receive ultrasonic signals to and from the internal body structure.

5. The imaging guidewire of claim 2 further comprising a connector attached to a proximal end of said shaft, said connector being detachably connectable with a mating connector to operatively connect the imaging device to the imaging signal processor while simultaneously engaging a drive unit to rotate said shaft and wherein said imaging core is rotatable within said body, said shaft is a drive shaft for rotating said imaging device and said connector is detachably connectable with a mating connector to engage a drive unit to rotate said drive shaft.

6. The imaging guidewire of claim 1 further comprising a connector attached to a proximal end of said shaft, said connector being detachably connectable with a mating connector to operatively connect the imaging device to the,imaging signal processor.

7. The imaging guidewire of claim 1 wherein said body comprises a proximal body portion having a proximal end extending from the proximal end of said body and a distal end attached to said substantially transparent portion of said body.

8. The imaging guidewire of claim 7 further comprising a stiffening tube disposed between said body and said shaft, said stiffening tube extending from said proximal end of the guidewire to the proximal end of said transparent portion of said body.

9. The imaging guidewire of claim 7 wherein said proximal body portion is formed of a NITINOL tube.

10. The imaging guidewire of claim 9 wherein said shaft comprises a proximal telescope portion having a distal end connected to a drive cable formed of counter-wound, multi-filar coils.

11. The imaging guidewire of claim 7 further comprising a transition means between said proximal body portion and said substantially transparent portion of said body.

12. The image guidewire of claim 11 wherein said transition means comprises a transition tube having a bending stiffness between that of the proximal body portion and the substantially transparent portion of said body.

13. The imaging guidewire of claim 12 wherein further comprising a plastic jacket covering substantially the entire length of said body.

14. The image guidewire of claim 11 wherein said transition means is formed by constructing a distal portion of said proximal body portion in a spiral form, said spiral form having increasing pitch as it extends distally.

15. The image guidewire of claim 11 wherein said transition means is formed by constructing a distal portion of said proximal body portion in tapered finger shape.

16. The imaging guidewire of claim 7 wherein said shaft comprises a proximal telescope portion having a distal end connected to a drive cable formed of counter-wound, multi-filar coils.

17. The imaging guidewire of claim 1 wherein said shaft comprises a proximal telescope portion having a distal end connected to a drive cable formed of counter-wound, multi-filar coils.

18. An imaging guidewire comprising

a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to imaging energy;

a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging device adapted to receive imaging energy related to internal body structures and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor; and

a connector having a distal component including a conductive ring through which a coaxial cable having an inner lead and an outer lead separated by a first insulator is inserted and said conductive ring filled with a first portion of conductive epoxy to electrically connect the outer lead to the conductive ring;

the connector also having a proximal component including a second conductor having stepped tubular section and a ball-shaped end having a cavity, an insulator covering said stepped tubular section, the inner lead and insulation extending through said tubular section and into said cavity, and said cavity filled with a second portion of conductive epoxy to electrically connect said inner lead to said second conductor, said proximal component inserted into said conductive ring by inserting said stepped tubular section covered with said insulator into said conductive ring.

19. A method for diagnosis and treatment of an internal body structure comprising the steps of:

providing an imaging guidewire including;

a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to imaging energy;

a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging device adapted to receive imaging energy related to internal body structures and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor;

the imaging guidewire having a maximum diameter along its entire length not exceeding that which can effectively receive a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter;

wherein said imaging core is axially translatable relative to said body to enable axial translation of said imaging device;

providing, a connector attached to a proximal end of said shaft, said connector providing only a mechanical connection with a mating connect or of a drive unit;

introducing said imaging guidewire into a vessel of a vascular system and routing said imaging guidewire to the internal body structure;

producing images of said internal body structure using said imaging device; and

axially translating said imaging core relative to said body to image a length of the internal body structure.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of routing a catheter having a guidewire lumen over the imaging guidewire and advancing the catheter to the internal body structure.