Imaging catheter for imaging from within balloon
AssigneeVolcano Corporation
InventorPaul Hoseit
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention generally relates to balloon catheters for vascular intervention and particularly to devices for imaging from within a balloon. The invention provides a balloon catheter with an imaging device inside the balloon and capable of viewing a treatment site through a wall of the balloon. The device allows a physician to both view the affected site within the vessel and to inflate the balloon at the location that is in view, thus allowing the balloon to be deployed with good positioning and efficiency while minimizing a stiff length of the catheter to give it good maneuverability.
Claims20
An intravascular imaging catheter comprising:
- an elongate shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
- an inflatable balloon disposed at the distal portion for insertion into a vessel;
- and
- an image detector disposed within the balloon and configured to receive a signal through the balloon, the signal comprising an image of the vessel.
A method of delivering a balloon, the method comprising:
- using an elongate catheter having a proximal portion and a distal portion to deliver a balloon disposed at the distal portion a treatment site within a vessel;
- viewing the treatment site from within the balloon using an image detector within the balloon;
- and
- inflating the balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.