Imaging probe housing with fluid flushing
AssigneeACIST Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert Zelenka, Tom Moore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging probe for use in a catheter for ultrasonic imaging is provided. The catheter may be of the type including a sheath having an opening at a distal end for conducting a fluid there through. The imaging probe includes a distal housing coupled to a drive shaft for rotation, a transducer within the distal housing for generating and sensing ultrasonic waves, and a fluid flow promoter that promotes flow of the fluid within the sheath across the transducer.
Claims13
A method of imaging an anatomical structure of a patient comprising:
- (a) providing an imaging catheter that includes (i) a sheath with an opening in a distal end and (ii) an imaging probe in the sheath having a distal housing and a transducer disposed in the distal housing, the distal housing further including a distal tip wall opening having an axis that is non-parallel with a front side of the transducer;
- (b) positioning the imaging catheter within the anatomical structure of the patient;
- (c) generating and sensing ultrasonic waves with the transducer to enable visualization of the anatomical structure of the patient;
- and
- (d) directing fluid within the sheath, over the front side of the transducer, out the distal tip wall opening, and out the opening in the distal end of the sheath while generating and sensing ultrasonic waves to prevent air bubble formation near the transducer, wherein directing fluid over the front side of the transducer includes directing fluid at an inclined angle from a proximal portion of the front side to a distal portion of the front side.
An imaging probe for use in a catheter for ultrasonic imaging, the catheter including a sheath having an opening at a distal end for conducting a fluid there through, the imaging probe comprising:
- (a) a transducer configured to generate and sense ultrasonic waves;
- and
- (b) a distal housing that houses the transducer and that is coupled to a drive shaft for rotation;
- and
- (c) fluid flow promotion means for facilitating non-turbulent fluid flow over a front side of the transducer to prevent air bubble formation near the transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.