FFR catheter with covered distal pressure sensor and method of manufacture
AssigneeMedtronic Vascular, Inc.
InventorsGerry McCaffrey, Sean Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distal shaft for measuring pressure distally of a stenosis includes a housing, a pressure sensor, a cover, a tip, and an aperture. The pressure sensor is mounted in the housing. The cover is coupled to the housing and covers the pressure sensor. The tip is coupled to a distal end of the housing. The aperture is disposed through the tip and/or cover. The aperture is configured to allow blood flow to the pressure sensor. The cover further includes a coupling mechanism or coupling that couples the cover to the housing. The coupling mechanism may be a snap-fit mechanism, a friction-fit mechanism, and/or an adhesive.
Claims25
A Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) catheter comprising:
- a distal shaft defining a housing, a guidewire lumen configured to receive a guidewire, the guidewire lumen extending through the housing, and a sensor wire lumen configured to receive pressure sensor wires;
- a pressure sensor mounted in the housing;
- a separate cover coupled to the housing and covering the pressure sensor, wherein the housing comprises a first material and the cover comprises a second material, wherein the second material is stiffer than the first material;
- a tip coupled to a distal end of the housing, the tip including a tip lumen aligned with the guidewire lumen;
- and
- an aperture disposed through the tip and/or the cover, the aperture configured to allow blood flow to the pressure sensor.
A method of manufacturing a distal shaft of an FFR catheter for measuring a distal pressure measurement on a distal side of a stenosis, the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a separate cover at a housing of a distal shaft, the housing having a pressure sensor mounted therein, the distal shaft including a guidewire lumen for receiving a guidewire, the guidewire lumen extending through the housing, the housing comprising a first material and the cover comprising a second material, wherein the second material is stiffer than the first material;
- coupling the cover to the housing of the distal shaft to cover the pressure sensor;
- and
- providing an aperture through the cover and/or a portion of the distal shaft, wherein the aperture is configured to enable blood flow into the housing and into contact with the pressure sensor.
A Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) catheter comprising:
- a distal shaft defining a housing, a guidewire lumen configured to receive a guidewire, the guidewire lumen extending through the housing, and a sensor wire lumen configured to receive pressure sensor wires;
- a pressure sensor mounted in the housing;
- a separate cover coupled to the housing and covering the pressure sensor, the separate cover coupled to the housing via a snap-fit mechanism including a first annular ring extending radially inwardly from an inside surface of the cover and a corresponding second annular ring extending radially outwardly from an outer surface of the housing;
- a tip coupled to a distal end of the housing, the tip including a tip lumen aligned with the guidewire lumen;
- and
- an aperture disposed through the tip and/or the cover, the aperture configured to allow blood flow to the pressure sensor.
A Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) catheter comprising:
- a distal shaft defining a housing, a guidewire lumen configured to receive a guidewire, the guidewire lumen extending through the housing, and a sensor wire lumen configured to receive pressure sensor wires;
- a pressure sensor mounted in the housing;
- a separate cover coupled to the housing and covering the pressure sensor;
- the cover being coupled to the housing via a friction-fit mechanism such that a first portion of the cover includes a first inner diameter and a corresponding portion of the housing includes a second outer diameter, wherein the first inner diameter is smaller than the second outer diameter with the first portion of the cover not disposed over the portion of the housing, and wherein with the first portion of the cover disposed over the portion of the housing, the portion of the housing expands the first portion such that the cover is frictionally coupled to the housing;
- a tip coupled to a distal end of the housing, the tip including a tip lumen aligned with the guidewire lumen;
- and
- an aperture disposed through the tip and/or the cover, the aperture configured to allow blood flow to the pressure sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.