Methods and apparatus for locating a surface of a body lumen

• US 8,905,937 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integrated Vascular Systems, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Vascular Systems, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Ellingwood, Brian A., Kokish, Arkady
• Primary Examiner(s): Haq, Shafiqul
• Application Number:
  US12/393,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• US Class Current: 600/481
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00668 the implement being a tack or a staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00672 Locating means therefor, e.g. bleed back lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12018 Elastic band ligators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

An embodiment of an apparatus for locating a surface of a body lumen is disclosed. The apparatus includes a locator assembly that has a distal end region configured to extend into an opening of the body lumen and to selectably engage at least a portion of the body lumen adjacent to the opening. The distal end region includes at least one surface engaging element that is configured to engage the surface of the body lumen. The apparatus includes a measuring device that is in electrical communication with the surface engaging element. The measuring device is configured to determine changes in measurable characteristics of the surface engaging element. Methods and apparatus for locating a surface of a body lumen are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for locating an inner surface of a body lumen adjacent an opening in the body lumen, comprising:

a locator assembly including a distal end region and a proximal end region said proximal end region including a proximal conductive portion, said distal end region including a distal conductive portion, said distal end region being configured to extend into an opening of the body lumen and to selectably engage the inner surface of the body lumen adjacent to the opening, said distal end region including a surface engaging element configured to engage the inner surface of the body lumen by expanding from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, said surface engaging element biased toward the unexpanded state; and

a measuring device in wired electrical communication with said surface engaging element, said measuring device configured to determine changes in measurable characteristics of said surface engaging element via said proximal conductive portion and said distal conductive portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said locator assembly further comprising a control member and said control member being in electrical communication with said measuring device and a distal end of said surface engaging element via a first conductive portion on said locator assembly, said control member toggled to retract said distal end of said surface engaging element proximally to expand said surface engaging element to the expanded state.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, said first conductive portion being a proximal conductive portion, said locator assembly further comprising a tubular body and wherein said tubular body is in electrical communication with said measuring device and a proximal end of said surface engaging element via said proximal conductive portion and said tubular body being in indirect electrical communication with said control member via a first conductive connector.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a cover member, said first conductive portion being a proximal conductive portion, wherein said cover member is in electrical communication with said measuring device via said proximal conductive portion, said cover member being selectively electrically isolated from said tubular body via an insulator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said locator assembly further comprising a plurality of engaging members configured to engage the surface of the body lumen.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, a first engaging member being selectively electrically isolated from a second engaging member via a first insulator.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, said distal end region being selectably controllable between an unexpanded state and an expanded state for engaging the body lumen.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, said plurality of engaging members being configured to expand substantially transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said locator assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, said first engaging member being in electrical communication with a third engaging member via a second conductive portion on said locator assembly, said second conductive portion being selectively electrically isolated from said second engaging member via a second insulator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, said measurable characteristics of said surface engaging element that change are selected from the group consisting of an impedance of said surface engaging element, a pressure on said surface engaging element, changes ultrasonic data near said surface engaging element, and combinations thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, said first conductive portion being a distal conductive portion, said locator assembly further comprising a tubular body and wherein said tubular body is in electrical communication with said measuring device and a distal end of said surface engaging element via said distal conductive portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second surface engaging element in electrical communication with said measuring device via a second conductive portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said first surface engaging element is electrically isolated from said second surface engaging element via an insulator.

14. An apparatus for locating an inner surface of a body lumen adjacent an opening in the body lumen, comprising:

a locator assembly including a distal end region and a proximal end region, said proximal end region including a proximal conductive portion, said distal end region including a distal conductive portion, said distal end region being configured to extend into an opening of the body lumen and to selectably engage the inner surface of the body lumen adjacent to the opening, said distal end region being selectably controllable between an unexpanded state and an expanded state for engaging the body lumen, said distal end region including a surface engaging element configured to engage the inner surface of the body lumen by expanding from the unexpanded state to the expanded state; and

a measuring device in wired electrical communication with said surface engaging element via said proximal conductive portion and said distal conductive portion, said measuring device configured to determine changes in measurable characteristics of said surface engaging element.

15. An apparatus for locating an inner surface of a body lumen adjacent an opening in the body lumen, comprising:

a locator assembly including a distal end region and a proximal end region, said proximal end region including a first proximal conductive portion and a second proximal conductive portion, said distal end region including a first distal conductive portion and a second distal conductive portion, said distal end region being configured to extend into an opening of the body lumen and to selectably engage the inner surface of the body lumen adjacent to the opening, said distal end region including a first surface engaging element and a second surface engaging element, said first surface engaging element and said second surface engaging element configured to engage the surface of the inner body lumen by expanding from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, said surface engaging element biased toward the unexpanded state, said distal end region toggled to expand from the unexpanded state to the expanded state and to contract from the expanded state to the unexpanded state; and

a measuring device in wired electrical communication with said first surface engaging element via said first proximal conductive portion and said first distal conductive portion and with said second surface engaging element via said second proximal conductive portion and said second distal conductive portion, said measuring device configured to determine changes in measurable characteristics of said first surface engaging element and said second surface engaging element.