# US 2016/0249882 A1 · MRI Compatible 3-D Intracardiac Echography Catheter and System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0249882 A1 - Document ID: US20160249882A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/024,995 - Filed: 2014-09-25 - Published: 2016-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-25 - Assignees: Georgia Tech Research Corporation; National Institutes of Health - Applicants: Georgia Tech Research Corporation; National Institutes of Health - Inventors: Fahrettin Levent Degertekin; Coskun Tekes; Robert Jay Lederman; Ozgur Kocaturk; M. Wasequr Rashid; Maysam Ghovanloo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160249882A1 ## CPC - A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters - A61B 1/05: characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion - A61B 8/0883: {for diagnosis of the heart} - A61B 8/445: {Details of catheter construction} - A61B 8/56: {Details of data transmission or power supply} - G01S 7/5208: {with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead} - G01S 15/8913: {using separate transducers for transmission and reception} - A61B 8/4254: {using sensors mounted on the probe} - A61B 8/546: {involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature} - B06B 1/0292: {Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type} - G01S 7/52034: {Data rate converters} - G01S 15/8925: {the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R) ## Abstract An intracardiac imaging system has an intracardiac echography catheter with an internal volume, a proximal end and a distal end. The catheter includes an atraumatic tip disposed on the distal end of the catheter, a pair of inductively coupled coils proximal the atraumatic tip, at least one CMUT on CMOS volumetric imaging chip disposed between the pair of coils, and a cable lumen disposed within the volume and configured to small number of electrical connections due to significant multiplexing in the CMUT on CMOS chip. The catheter can be made of MRI compatible materials and can include active cooling channels. The CMUT on CMOS chip has a plurality of Tx elements transmitting imaging pulses, a plurality of Rx elements, disposed on the chip to have a large aperture and a plurality of electronics interfacing with the Tx elements for beamforming and the Rx elements to produce radio frequency output signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A CMUT on CMOS chip for imaging applications, comprising: a plurality of CMUT transmit (“Tx”) elements transmitting an imaging pulse; a plurality of CMUT receive (“Rx”) elements, disposed in proximity to the plurality of Tx elements, receiving the imaging pulse, and each Rx element generating a receiver signal; and a plurality of electronics interfacing with the Tx elements and the Rx elements, comprising: a multiplexing component receiving at least half of the generated receiver signals simultaneously and reducing a number of output signals, based on the receiver signals, by a ratio between 15-to-1 and 50-to-1; and a beamforming component communicating with Tx elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing component uses frequency division multiplexing (“FDM”). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 2, wherein the multiplexing component comprises: a feedback transimpedance amplifier (“TIA”) receiving the receiver signal from the Rx elements; a mixer receiving a first signal from the TIA; a band pass filter (“BPF”) receiving a second signal from the mixer; an adder receiving a third signal from the BPF; and a buffer receiving a fourth signal from the adder and producing the output signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein the beamforming component comprises: a high voltage pulser electrically connected to the Tx elements; and a timing and coding circuit electrically connected to the high voltage pulser. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing component produces the output signal using time division multiplexing (“TDM”). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 5, wherein the multiplexing component comprises: a feedback transimpedance amplifier (“TIA”) receiving the receiver signal from the Rx elements; a time-gain compensation (“TGC”) circuit receiving a first signal from the TIA; a time division multiplexing switch receiving a second signal from the TGC; and a buffer receiving a third signal from the time division multiplexing switch and producing the output signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 5, wherein the time division multiplexing switch samples the second signal at a rate greater than the Nyquist rate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electronics comprises: a de-multiplexer receiving the RF output signal; and a low pass filter receiving a first signal from the de-multiplexer and outputting a non-combined output signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein the field of view is between 90°×90° at approximately 5 cm depth and 45°'45° at approximately 15 cm depth. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing component reduces the number of output signals, based on the receiver signals, by a ratio of at least 16-to-1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing component uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (“OFDM”). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 11, wherein the multiplexing component comprises: a feedback transimpedance amplifier (“TIA”) receiving the receiver signal from the Rx elements; a single to differential converter (“STD”) receiving a first signal from the TIA; a low band pass filter (“LPF”) receiving a second signal from the STD; a mixer receiving a third signal from the LPF; a band pass filter (“BPF”) receiving a fourth signal from the mixer; and a buffer receiving a fifth signal from the adder and producing the output signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The CMUT on CMOS chip of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of Tx elements; the plurality of Rx elements; and the plurality of electronics is on a separate CMUT on CMOS chip in a stacked configuration. ### Claim 14 A system for intracardiac imaging, comprising: an intracardiac echography catheter having an internal volume, a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: an atraumatic tip disposed on the distal end of the catheter; a CMUT on CMOS volumetric imaging chip disposed proximal of the tip, comprising: a plurality of CMUT transmit (“Tx”) elements transmitting an imaging pulse; a plurality of CMUT receive (“Rx”) elements, disposed in proximity to the plurality of Tx elements, receiving the imaging pulse, and each Rx element generating a receiver signal; and a plurality of electronics interfacing with the Tx elements and the Rx elements, comprising: a multiplexing component receiving at least half of the generated receiver signals simultaneously and reducing a number of output signals, based on the receiver signals, by a ratio between 15-to-1 and 50-to-1; and a beamforming component communicating with Tx elements; and a cable lumen disposed within the volume and configured to receive a plurality of output signal cables from the chip. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein a size of the catheter is approximately 6 French to approximately 10 French. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the catheter further comprises a cooling lumen cooling the catheter from RF induced heating when the catheter is used in conjunction with an MRI scan. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the catheter further comprises a pair of inductively coupled coils proximal the atraumatic tip wherein one coil is proximal of the chip and the second coil is distal of the chip, wherein the coils are configured to be visible during MRI operation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the catheter further comprises: a body comprising at least one MRI safe material; at least one direction wire disposed in a directional wire lumen, the wire comprising at least one MRI safe material; wherein the catheter is configured to be used during at least one of interlaced and simultaneous MRI and ultrasound operation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one MRI safe materials are also x-ray safe materials. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the multiplexing component produces the output signal using at least one of frequency division multiplexing (“FDM”), time division multiplexing (“TDM”), and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (“OFDM”).