Rigid delivery systems having inclined ultrasound and needle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A rigid delivery system comprising:
- a rigid shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis, and a passage therethrough, wherein the passage has a closed distal end with ultrasonically transparent or translucent side viewing window having a flat inner surface being asymmetrically inclined relative to the longitudinal axis therein;
an ultrasound imaging insert removably disposed within the passage and having an ultrasound array having a flat surface on a side thereof which flat surface aligns with the side viewing window when the insert is placed in the passage such that the flat surface of the ultrasound array contacts the flat inner surface of the shaft after the insert is fully received in the shaft, wherein the ultrasound array has a field of view with a center line which is tilted in a distally forward direction relative to the longitudinal axis and wherein the imaging insert may be removed and reused.
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Abstract
A delivery system includes a rigid shaft, an imaging core, and an interventional core. The rigid delivery shaft has a proximal end, an angled distal tip, and an axial passage therethrough. The imaging core comprises an ultrasound imaging insert disposed within the axial passage. The imaging insert has an ultrasound array within a distal portion thereof, wherein the ultrasound array is tilted relative to a shaft axis. The interventional core comprises a curved ablation needle coupled to the rigid shaft. An angle of needle curvature may be inversely proportional to the ultrasound array tilt and tip angle.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A rigid delivery system comprising:
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a rigid shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis, and a passage therethrough, wherein the passage has a closed distal end with ultrasonically transparent or translucent side viewing window having a flat inner surface being asymmetrically inclined relative to the longitudinal axis therein; an ultrasound imaging insert removably disposed within the passage and having an ultrasound array having a flat surface on a side thereof which flat surface aligns with the side viewing window when the insert is placed in the passage such that the flat surface of the ultrasound array contacts the flat inner surface of the shaft after the insert is fully received in the shaft, wherein the ultrasound array has a field of view with a center line which is tilted in a distally forward direction relative to the longitudinal axis and wherein the imaging insert may be removed and reused. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for using an imaging and needle deployment system, said method comprising:
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providing a rigid shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis, and an axial passage therethrough, wherein the passage has a closed distal end with an untrasonically transparent or translucent side window having a flat inner surface being asymmetrically inclined relative to the longitudinal axis therein, wherein the distal end of the rigid shaft is deflected relative to the longitudinal axis; and loading an ultrasound imaging insert having an ultrasound array on a side thereof within the closed-end axial passage, wherein the ultrasound array has a flat viewing surface which aligns with the flat inner surface of the side viewing window on the rigid shaft such that the flat surface of the ultrasound array contacts the flat inner surface of the shaft after the insert is fully received in the shaft, and a distal portion of the insert conforms to the deflected shaft distal end so that a center line of a field of view of said ultrasound array is tilted in a distally forward direction relative to the longitudinal axis; introducing the rigid shaft into a body cavity; advancing a curved needle from the rigid shaft so that said needle passes across the tilted field of view and enters tissue while the needle is imaged with said imaging array; removing the rigid shaft from the body lumen; and removing the ultrasound imaging insert from the shaft to allow re-use of the insert. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification