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US 11,147,535 B2Granted
Variable-stiffness imaging window and production method thereof
AssigneeACIST Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert Zelenka, Ruth E. Beeby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An imaging window of an imaging catheter includes a first imaging window section and a second imaging window section. The first imaging window section has a finite length and is formed from a first material having a flexural modulus. The second imaging window section has a finite length and is formed from a second material having a flexural modulus. The flexural modulus of the first material is different than the flexural modulus of the second material.
Claims18
A method of making an imaging window for use in an imaging catheter, the method including the steps of:
- loading onto a mandrel a first imaging window section of a first material having a first flexural modulus, the first imaging window section having a proximal end, a distal end, a constant outer diameter, and a constant inner diameter;
- loading onto the mandrel a second imaging window section of a second material having a second flexural modulus, the second imaging window section having a proximal end, a distal end, a constant outer diameter, and a constant inner diameter, wherein the second flexural modulus is different than the first flexural modulus;
- applying heat shrink tubing over at least the first imaging window section and the second imaging window section, wherein a length of the heat shrink tubing is sufficiently long to cover a length of the first imaging window section from the proximal end to the distal end of the first imaging window section and a length of the second imaging window section from the proximal end to the distal end of the second imaging window section, and wherein the length of the heat shrink tubing is sufficiently long to extend beyond at least one of the proximal end of the first imaging window section and the distal end of the second imaging window section to form a clamping region thereat where the mandrel is free of any imaging window section;
- fixing the imaging window in position by applying a clamp at the clamping region;
- and
- joining the distal end of the first imaging window section to the proximal end of the second imaging window section such that the first material of the first imaging window section contacts the second material of the second imaging window section to form the imaging window, wherein the imaging catheter has a central longitudinal axis, wherein a plane extends perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the plane intersects the imaging window where the first material contacts the second material and includes only one or both of the first material and the second material so as to provide ultrasound transparency through the imaging window where the plane intersects the imaging window.
3 more elements
A method of making an imaging window for use in an imaging catheter, the method including the steps of:
- providing a mandrel having an anti-stick coating thereon;
- successively loading a plurality of imaging window tubing sections onto the mandrel, wherein each of the imaging window tubing sections has a flexural modulus different than a flexural modulus of the other imaging window tubing sections;
- covering the imaging window tubing sections with a heat shrink tubing, wherein a length of the heat shrink tubing is sufficiently long to cover a length of each of the imaging window tubing sections from a proximal end to a distal end of each of the imaging window tubing sections, wherein the length of the heat shrink tubing is sufficiently long to extend beyond each of the imaging window tubing sections to form a clamping region at the heat shrink tubing where the mandrel is free of each of the imaging window tubing sections;
- fixing the imaging window in position by applying a clamp at the clamping region;
- joining the imaging window tubing sections end-to-end together to form an imaging window section that is ultrasound transparent through the imaging window section where the imaging window tubing sections are joined together end-to-end, wherein the imaging catheter has a central longitudinal axis, wherein a plane extends perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the plane intersects the imaging window section where the imaging window tubing sections are joined together end-to-end such that where the plane intersects the imaging window the imaging window includes only one or both of the first material and the second material;
- and
- removing the imaging window section from the mandrel.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.