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AssigneeAdvanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
InventorsWilliam E. Webler, Gary Schneiderman, Douglas J. Seiffert
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The invention is directed to apparatus, methods and systems including a sheath for use with intracorporeal optical imaging instruments such as imaging guidewires, catheters, or endoscopes. The invention provides a sheath suitable for guiding an enclosed instrument, that is effective to guide the placement within a patient's body and replacement to a distal position after retraction of the imaging instrument, as during an imaging scan. The sheaths may include at least a portion that is translucent to a desired wavelength of radiation. The translucent portion may have an index of refraction similar to the index of refraction of a bodily fluid such as blood plasma, or an artificial fluid suitable for introduction into a body lumen.
A sheath for use with an intracorporeal imaging instrument, comprising a lumen having an inner surface, a longitudinal axis, and a distal portion, said distal portion being translucent to radiation, said sheath being configured to enclose at least a portion of an intracorporeal imaging instrument, said inner surface being configured to slidingly engage said intracorporeal imaging instrument effective to guide longitudinal movement of said intracorporeal imaging instrument within said lumen.
A system comprising an intracorporeal imaging instrument and a sheath for use with an intracorporeal imaging instrument, said sheath comprising a lumen having an inner surface, a longitudinal axis, and a distal portion, said distal portion being translucent to radiation, said sheath being configured to enclose at least a portion of an intracorporeal imaging instrument, said inner surface being configured to slidingly engage said intracorporeal imaging instrument effective to guide longitudinal movement of said intracorporeal imaging instrument within said lumen.
A method of guiding within a body lumen an intracorporeal imaging instrument having a distal portion, comprising:
A method of obtaining an image within a body lumen with an intracorporeal optical imaging instrument sensitive to a wavelength of optical radiation, said intracorporeal optical imaging instrument having a distal portion, comprising:
A device for use within a body lumen containing a fluid, said fluid having an index of refraction, said device comprising a sheath having an index of refraction similar to said index of refraction of said fluid.
A method of performing angioplasty within a body lumen, using an intracorporeal imaging instrument having a distal portion and a balloon, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.