Flush catheter with flow directing sheath
AssigneeLightLab Imaging, Inc.
InventorsChristopher L. Petersen, Michael Atlas, Christopher Petroff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In certain embodiments, the invention provides a method of flushing a lumen of interest having a first diameter and a lumen wall. The method can include the steps of selecting a flush solution such that the flush solution lowers a fluid removal rate of a plurality of terminating lumens, the terminating lumens branching from and in fluid communication with the lumen of interest, at least one of the terminating lumens having a second diameter, the second diameter smaller than the first diameter; flushing the lumen with the flush solution; and collecting optical tomography scan data relative to a portion of the lumen wall.
Claims14
A flush catheter configured to be introduced into a lumen to create an optically transparent flush zone, comprising:
- a catheter body configured to be introduced into a lumen and an inner cavity, the inner cavity being configured to communicate with a proximal source of flush solution and expel the flush solution at a distal end of the catheter;
- an image probe assembly contained within the catheter body;
- and
- a plurality of openings provided in the catheter body configured to expel therethrough the flush solution;
- wherein when flush solution is expelled through the plurality of openings into the lumen, the flush solution is directed to flow toward a proximal end of the catheter body, and wherein a flush solution flow rate is configured such that a volume flow rate of the expelled flush solution is substantially equivalent but opposite to that of locally flowing blood thereby creating the optically transparent flush zone along a length of the lumen such that non-occlusive optical imaging of the lumen can be performed by the image probe assembly.
A method of flushing a lumen of interest having a first diameter and a lumen wall;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a flush solution such that the flush solution lowers a fluid removal rate of a plurality of terminating lumens, the terminating lumens branching from and in fluid communication with the lumen of interest, at least one of the terminating lumens having a second diameter, the second diameter smaller than the first diameter;
- flushing the lumen with the flush solution;
- and
- collecting optical tomography scan data relative to a portion of the lumen wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.