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US 2006/0235299 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for intravascular imaging
OwnerMichael Martinelliinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for intravascular imaging utilizes a rotating magnetic field generated outside of the patient's body to cause a substantially synchronous rotation of an ultrasonic signal inside the patient's body.
Claims27
In an imaging guidewire for imaging tissues from inside a patient's body cavity having a wall, the imaging guidewire having a distal end suitable for inserting inside the body cavity, the improvement comprising:
- a length of substantially tubular housing having a portion that is substantially transparent to ultrasound, the housing being proximate to the distal end of the imaging guidewire;
- a permanently magnetized cylindrical slug disposed within the housing, the slug having a longitudinal axis and at least one beveled end;
- an ultrasonic beam transmitting means disposed within the housing for transmitting an ultrasonic beam toward the beveled end of the slug for reflecting the ultrasonic beam toward the housing and the wall of the body cavity;
- and
- means for generating a rotating magnetic field from outside of the patient's body to cause substantially synchronous rotation of the slug substantially about the slug longitudinal axis and rotational movement of the ultrasonic beam for scanning the ultrasonic beam at the wall of the body cavity for imaging.
2 more elements
A method for imaging tissues from inside a patient's body cavity having a wall, comprising:
- inserting into the body cavity a distal end of a catheter having a transducer positioned in a housing at the catheter's distal end;
- generating an ultrasonic beam with the transducer;
- directing the ultrasonic beam toward a beveled end of a magnetized cylindrical slug positioned in the housing for reflecting the ultrasonic beam toward the housing and the body cavity wall;
- and generating a rotating magnetic field outside of the patient's body cavity to cause rotation of the slug and rotational movement of the ultrasonic beam for scanning the ultrasonic beam at the body cavity wall for imaging.
1 more element
A catheter for imaging tissues from inside a patient's body cavity having a wall comprising:
- a length of substantially tubular housing having a portion substantially transparent to ultrasonic signals;
- a magnetized cylindrical slug disposed within the tubular housing, the slug having a longitudinal axis and at least one beveled end;
- an ultrasonic beam transmitting means disposed within the housing opposite the slug beveled end for directing an ultrasonic beam toward the slug beveled end;
- and
- means for generating a rotating magnetic field outside of the housing to cause rotation of the slug about the slug longitudinal axis and rotational movement of an ultrasonic beam generated by the ultrasonic beam transmitting means and reflected by the slug beveled end for scanning of the ultrasonic beam at the body cavity wall for imaging.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.