Method and apparatus for detecting vascular conditions with a catheter

• US 9,107,590 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hansmann, Douglas R., Wilcox, Robert L., Rule, Peter R., Villar, Francisco S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, WENG WAH
• Application Number:
  US11/047,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,851 Days
• Field of Search: 604/66, 604/22, 604/15, 606/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00061 spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22084 stone- or thrombus-dissolving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/027 using catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/028 by thermo-dilution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

A method for treating an occlusion comprises positioning a catheter at a treatment site in a patient'"'"'s vasculature. A blockage is located at the treatment site. The method further comprises performing a medical treatment at the treatment site. The medical treatment is configured to reduce the blockage. The method further comprises making a plurality of measurements at the treatment site.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

positioning a catheter within a patient'"'"'s vasculature, wherein the catheter includes a thermal source and a thermal detector;

delivering thermal energy to the patient'"'"'s vasculature from the thermal source;

making a plurality of temperature measurements near or at the thermal source using the thermal detector as the catheter is advanced through the patient'"'"'s vasculature while delivering thermal energy; and

using the temperature measurements to determine the position of the catheter with respect to a blockage in the patient'"'"'s vasculature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering thermal energy to the patient'"'"'s vasculature from the thermal source comprises delivering ultrasonic energy.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the temperature measurements on a display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage, wherein the medical treatment includes delivering ultrasonic energy and a therapeutic compound from the catheter to the patient'"'"'s vasculature.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage, wherein the medical treatment comprises deploying a clot capture device from the catheter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal energy is being delivered while the catheter is advanced through the patient'"'"'s vasculature.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermal energy is ultrasound energy.