Internal ultrasound assembly fluid seal
AssigneeMuffin Incorporated
InventorsPeter S. McKinnis, Yun Zhou, Sarah Robbins, Neal E. Fearnot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There are disclosed embodiments of devices and methods for imaging the inside of a body part, particularly a blood vessel. In particular embodiments, a catheter has a tip chamber, within which is an ultrasound transducer mounted on a pivot mechanism, a motor for turning the transducer, and an implement for pivoting the transducer. Examples of such an implement are a linear motor, a shaft or filament, and the pivot mechanism may be biased to return to a base position when the implement is not pivoting the transducer. In other embodiments, a mirror reflecting ultrasound signals from the transducer may be rotated and/or pivoted, using similar mechanisms.
Claims25
An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing, the housing having a uniform-diameter chamber defined at least partially by an acoustic window for transmission of ultrasound signals;
- a transducer for emitting and/or receiving ultrasound signals, the transducer being within the chamber;
- a shaft operatively connected to the transducer, the shaft adapted to rotate with respect to the housing so that the transducer rotates in response to rotation of the shaft;
- and
- a seal partially bounding the chamber, a part of the seal engaged with the housing across the chamber's diameter, the seal having an opening through which the shaft extends, with a portion of the seal around the opening engaging the outside of the shaft to create a fluid-tight connection between the seal and the shaft.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing, the housing having a uniform-diameter chamber defined at least partially by an acoustic window for transmission of ultrasound signals;
- a transducer for emitting and/or receiving ultrasound signals, the transducer being within the chamber;
- a shaft operatively connected to the transducer, the shaft adapted to move with respect to the housing so that the transducer moves in response to movement of the shaft;
- and
- an O-ring partially bounding the chamber, the O-ring having an opening through which the shaft extends, wherein a portion of the O-ring engages the shaft or the housing to create a fluid-tight seal.
An apparatus for ultrasound procedures, comprising:
- a transducer for emitting and/or receiving ultrasound signals, the transducer being within a chamber, the chamber defined at least partially by a wall forming an acoustic window for transmission of ultrasound signals;
- a motor;
- a shaft operated by the motor and operatively connected to the transducer, the shaft adapted to move with respect to the wall in at least one of rotation and translation;
- and
- a seal next to the motor and defining an end of the chamber, the seal engaging the outside of the shaft to create a fluid-tight connection between the seal and the shaft.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing, the housing having a uniform-diameter chamber;
- a microminiature motor positioned within the housing;
- a shaft operatively connected to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to move the shaft relative to the housing, the shaft having a first end;
- a stationary surface within the housing;
- and
- a seal positioned between the first end and the motor, the seal having an opening through which the shaft extends, wherein a part of the seal is engaged with the stationary surface or the shaft to create a fluid-tight connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.