Catheter including ultrasound transducer with emissions attenuation

• US 6,277,077 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pathways Corp. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Brisken, Axel F., Willis, N. Parker
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/192,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/439, 600/459, 600/462-463, 600/471, 607/122, 128/899
• US Class Current: 600/459
• 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

Abstract

A catheter including an elongated body member, an ultrasound transducer located on the elongated body member, and dampening means for forming an ultrasound dampening region adjacent to a portion of the ultrasound transducer, is disclosed. The ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit or receive an ultrasound signal. The ultrasound dampening region is configured to improve uniformity of said ultrasound signal in three-dimensional space. Preferably, the dampening means includes air or a material containing air.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

an elongated body member;

an ultrasound transducer located on said elongated body member, said ultrasound transducer being configured to transmit or to receive an ultrasound signal; and

dampening means for forming an ultrasound dampening region adjacent to a portion of said ultrasound transducer, said ultrasound dampening region being configured to improve uniformity of communication of said ultrasound signal in three-dimensional space.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein:

said ultrasound transducer is further configured to transmit and receive said ultrasound signal.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein:

said ultrasound transducer has a cylindrical shape including a radial outer surface and opposed end faces.

4. The catheter of claim 3, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed end faces of said transducer.

5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein:

said ultrasound transducer has a rectangular shape including a top face, a bottom face, opposed width faces, and opposed length faces.

6. The catheter of claim 5, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said top face and said bottom face of said transducer.

7. The catheter of claim 5, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed width faces of said transducer.

8. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising:

another ultrasound transducer, located on said elongated body member and configured to transmit or to receive said ultrasound signal.

9. The catheter of claim 1, wherein a space is defined between ends of said ultrasound transducer and portions of said elongated body member, said catheter further comprising:

a covering between said elongated body member and said ultrasound transducer, said covering sealing air within said space, wherein said dampening means is defined by the air within said space.

10. The catheter of claim 9, wherein:

said covering comprises a tube of polyethylene terepthalate.

11. The catheter of claim 9, wherein:

said covering comprises a tube of polyether polyamide copolymer.

12. The catheter of claim 9, wherein:

said covering comprises a conformal coating.

13. The catheter of claim 1, wherein:

said dampening means is selected from the group consisting of foam, balsa wood, high-density polyethylene, and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

14. A catheter, comprising:

an elongated body member;

a plurality of ultrasound transducers located on said elongated body member, said plurality of ultrasound transducers being configured to transmit and receive a plurality of ultrasound signals;

first dampening means for forming an ultrasound dampening region adjacent to a portion of at least one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers, said ultrasound dampening region being configured to improve uniformity of corresponding communicated ultrasound signals in three dimensional space; and

second dampening means for modifying a conducted ultrasound signal conducted by said elongated body member to inhibit detection thereof, said second dampening means being located between one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers that sends said communicated ultrasound signals and another that receives said communicated ultrasound signals.

15. The catheter of claim 14, wherein:

said plurality of ultrasound transducers each has a cylindrical shape including a radial outer surface and opposed end faces.

16. The catheter of claim 15, wherein said first dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed end faces of said each transducer.

17. The catheter of claim 14, wherein:

said plurality of ultrasound transducers each has a rectangular shape including a top face, a bottom face, opposed width faces, and opposed length faces.

18. The catheter of claim 17, wherein said first dampening means is located adjacent to said top face and said bottom face of said each transducer.

19. The catheter of claim 17, wherein said first dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed width faces of said each transducer.

20. The catheter of claim 14, wherein:

said second dampening means comprises a material having an ultrasound conduction speed of less than 1570 m/sec.

21. The catheter of claim 14, wherein:

said second dampening means comprises a region containing one of air, a vacuum, and an ultrasound blocking material.

22. The catheter of claim 14, wherein:

said second dampening means comprises a space between ends of two inner shafts, said two inner shafts being connected to ends of an outer shaft.

23. The catheter of claim 14, wherein:

said second dampening means comprises a gap between a first covering that covers a transmitting transducer and a second covering that covers a receiving transducer.

24. A catheter, comprising:

an elongated shaft portion;

a plurality of inner shafts in series on said elongated shaft portion;

a plurality of ultrasound transducers on said plurality of inner shafts, said plurality of ultrasound transducers being configured to transmit and receive a plurality of ultrasound signals; and

a plurality of outer shafts connecting opposed ends of adjacent inner shafts, wherein portions of an inner shaft, of an outer shaft, and of an ultrasound transducer define a space, and wherein said space defines an ultrasound dampening region that improves uniformity of a communicated ultrasound signal in three-dimensional space.

25. The catheter of claim 24, further comprising:

a covering between one of said plurality of outer shafts and one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers, said covering sealing air within said space, wherein said dampening region is the air within said space.

26. The catheter of claim 24, further comprising:

an ultrasound blocking material in said space, wherein said dampening region is said ultrasound blocking material.

27. The catheter of claim 24, wherein:

said plurality of ultrasound transducers each has a cylindrical shape including a radial outer surface and opposed end faces.

28. The catheter of claim 27, wherein said space is defined by one of said opposed end faces of one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers.

29. The catheter of claim 24, wherein:

said plurality of ultrasound transducers each has a rectangular shape including a top face, a bottom face, opposed width faces, and opposed length faces.

30. The catheter of claim 29, wherein said space is defined by one of said top face and said bottom face of one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers.

31. The catheter of claim 29, wherein said space is defined by one of said opposed width faces of one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers.

32. An array catheter, comprising:

a plurality of arms configured to retract and expand into a plurality of positions;

a plurality of ultrasound transducers located on said plurality of arms, said plurality of ultrasound transducers being configured to receive a plurality of ultrasound signals; and

dampening means for forming an ultrasound dampening region adjacent to a portion of at least one of said plurality of ultrasound transducers, said ultrasound dampening region being configured to improve uniformity of corresponding communicated ultrasound signals in three dimensional space.

33. The array catheter of claim 32, wherein:

said plurality of ultrasound transducers each has a cylindrical shape including a radial outer surface and opposed end faces.

34. The array catheter of claim 33, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed end faces of said each transducer.

35. The array catheter of claim 32, wherein:

said plurality of ultrasound transducers each has a rectangular shape including a top face, a bottom face, opposed width faces, and opposed length faces.

36. The array catheter of claim 35, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said top face and said bottom face of said each transducer.

37. The array catheter of claim 35, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed width faces of said each transducer.

38. An ultrasound transducer assembly, comprising:

an ultrasound transducer configured to transmit or to receive an ultrasound signal; and

dampening means for forming an ultrasound dampening region adjacent to a portion of said ultrasound transducer, said ultrasound dampening region being configured to improve uniformity of communication of said ultrasound signal in three-dimensional space.

39. The ultrasound transducer assembly of claim 38, wherein:

said ultrasound transducer has a cylindrical shape including a radial outer surface and opposed end faces.

40. The ultrasound transducer assembly of claim 39, wherein said dampening means is located adjacent to said opposed end faces of said transducer.

41. The ultrasound transducer assembly of claim 38, wherein:

said ultrasound transducer has a rectangular shape including a top face, a bottom face, opposed width faces, and opposed length faces.