Guided directional coronary atherectomy distal linear encoder
AssigneeGuidant Corporation
InventorsFred Henrik Co, Cheryl Swanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a catheter device for use in a biological conduit having an encoder structure for indicating linear movement of the work element. The work element includes an ultrasonic transducer along a linear axis of the catheter. The catheter has a housing for insertion in the biological conduit. The transducer transmits ultrasonic pulses and receives echoes in response thereto for imaging an inside wall of the conduit. The housing has a window formed therein to image the conduit inside wall. An encoder structure adjacent an area of the window determines distal movement and travel direction of the transducer through the window area along a linear axis of the catheter housing.
Claims17
A guided directional coronary atherectomy ultrasound catheter, comprising:
- an apparatus having a housing for insertion in a blood vessel with a subassembly positioned therein for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic pulses for imaging an inside wall of the blood vessel and for removing an atheroma blocking a flow of blood within the blood vessel and wherein the housing has a window formed therein with respect to the subassembly and wherein the housing has an encoder structure formed thereon adjacent an area of the window for indicating distal movement of the subassembly along a linear axis of the housing through the window area.
A guided directional coronary atherectomy ultrasound catheter for use with control Imaging apparatus comprising:
- a transducer and a cutter subassembly, the subassembly being connected to a distal end of a cable for coupling the subassembly to the control imaging apparatus located at the proximal end of the cable, for imaging an inside wall of a blood vessel and for removing a portion of an atheroma blocking a flow of blood within the blood vessel;
- a housing attached to the distal end of the cable for mounting the subassembly therein, the housing enabling the control imaging apparatus to rotate the subassembly about a rotational axis of the subassembly and to linearly move the subassembly along the rotational axis;
- a window formed in a surface of the housing wherein the window enables a transducer of the subassembly to transmit ultrasonic pulses under control of the control imaging apparatus toward the blood vessel inside wall and receive echo pulses returned therefrom for imaging the blood vessel inside wall, the window receiving a portion of the atheroma to enable a cutter of the subassembly to remove the atheroma portion extending through the window;
- and
- an encoder structure formed in the housing adjacent an area of the window for indicating linear movement of the transducer and cutter subassembly along the subassembly axis through the housing window area to the control imaging apparatus.
A housing for use with a guided directional coronary atherectomy ultrasound catheter to mount a rotating transducer and cutter subassembly connected to a distal end of a cable coupling the subassembly to control imaging apparatus located at the proximal end of the cable, the housing having a window formed in a surface thereof for enabling a transducer of the subassembly to transmit ultrasonic pulses under control of the control imaging apparatus for imaging an inside of a blood vessel and for receiving a portion of a blood vessel atheroma to enable a cutter of the subassembly to remove the atheroma portion extending through the window wherein the housing comprises:
- a spiral encoder structure formed in the housing adjacent an area of the window for returning at least one echo pulse to the control imaging apparatus in response to the transducer transmitted pulses at angles of rotation of the transducer and the cutter subassembly, to provide indicia of linear movement and travel direction of the transducer and the cutter subassembly along a rotational axis of the subassembly through the housing window area.
A catheter for use in a biological conduit, comprising:
- a housing having an open window area;
- a work element movably disposed within the housing, the work element having an imaging transducer mounted therein, the work element being attached to a distal end of a cable coupling the imaging transducer to an imaging apparatus;
- and
- a linear encoder formed in a spiral configuration in an area of the housing other than the open window area,
- whereby, transducer signals emitted toward the encoder and returned to the transducer as encoder signal echoes are uniquely identifiable by the imaging apparatus, and provide an indicia of linear position and travel direction of the work element within the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.