Imaging assembly for intraluminal imaging
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorWojtek Sudol
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intraluminal imaging device is provided. In one embodiment, the imaging device includes a flexible elongate member that may to be inserted into a body lumen within a patient. The flexible elongate member has a central longitudinal axis. The imaging device also has an imaging assembly that is disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The imaging assembly comprises a flexible substrate and a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements. The plurality of ultrasound transducer elements are disposed on the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate is disposed around the central longitudinal axis of the flexible elongate member such that the ultrasound transducer elements are oriented to face away from the central longitudinal axis and the flexible substrate.
Claims21
An intraluminal imaging device, comprising:
- a flexible elongate member configured to be inserted into a body lumen within a patient, the flexible elongate member comprising a central longitudinal axis;
- an imaging assembly disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member, the imaging assembly comprising:
- a flexible substrate rolled around the central longitudinal axis such that a first end and a second end of the flexible substrate are spaced from one another such that an unsealed gap is formed between the first end and the second end, wherein the gap extends between an outer surface and an inner surface of the flexible substrate;
- a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements disposed on the flexible substrate;
- and
- an outer shell positioned around the flexible substrate and the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements such that the outer shell is radially spaced from the gap to seal the imaging assembly from fluid ingress.
A method of assembling an intraluminal imaging device, comprising:
- obtaining an imaging assembly comprising:
- a flexible substrate;
- and
- a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements disposed on the flexible substrate;
- rolling the flexible substrate in a cylindrical configuration around a central longitudinal axis at a distal portion of a flexible elongate member configured to be inserted into a body lumen within a patient such that a first end and a second end of the flexible substrate are spaced from one another to form an unsealed gap is formed between the first end and the second end, wherein the gap extends between an outer surface and an inner surface of the flexible substrate;
- and
- positioning an outer shell around the flexible substrate such that the outer shell is radially spaced from the gap to seal the imaging assembly from fluid ingress.
An imaging system, comprising:
- an intraluminal imaging device, comprising:
- a flexible elongate member configured to be inserted into a body lumen within a patient, the flexible elongate member comprising a central longitudinal axis;
- an imaging assembly disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member, the imaging assembly comprising:
- a flexible substrate rolled around the central longitudinal axis such that a first end and a second end of the flexible substrate are spaced from one another such that an unsealed gap is formed between the first end and the second end, wherein the gap extends between an outer surface and an inner surface of the flexible substrate;
- a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements disposed on the flexible substrate;
- and
- an outer shell positioned around the flexible substrate and the plurality of ultrasound transducers such that the outer shell is radially spaced from the gap to seal the imaging assembly from fluid ingress;
- and
- a computing device in communication with the intraluminal imaging device, wherein the computing device is configured to process imaging data received from the intraluminal imaging device and to output the processed imaging data to a display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.