Ultrasound imaging guidewire with static central core and tip
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsDavid A. White, W. Martin Belef
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasound imaging guidewire, that is inserted into a patient's body. The guidewire has a static central core and an imaging guidewire body comprising an acoustical scanning device. The acoustical scanning device can be rotated to obtain 360 degree acoustical images of a site of interest in the patients body. Furthermore, the imaging guidewire includes a connector that permits the imaging guidewire body to be disengaged from the static central core tip so that the imaging guidewire body can be axially translated to obtain multi-position imaging. The imaging guidewire body is axially translated without losing the original guidewire positioning because the static central core maintains its position in the patient's body.
Claims47
A medical guidewire comprising:
- an imaging guidewire body having a lumen provided along the central axis of the imaging guidewire body;
- a static central core provided within the lumen of the imaging guidewire body;
- an imaging device coupled to the static central core;
- and
- an engaging structure to selectively couple the imaging guidewire body to the static central core and the imaging guidewire body is capable of translation and rotation about the central static core.
A method of applying treatment to a body portion within a body, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting a guidewire having an imaging guidewire body and a static central core into a first site of interest in a patient's body, the imaging guidewire body having an imaging device and a central axis along the length of the imaging guidewire body;
- using the imaging device to obtain an image at the first site of interest;
- disengaging the imaging device from the static central core by using an engaging structure coupled between the imaging device and the static central core;
- translating the imaging guidewire body of the guidewire along the axis of the imaging guidewire body to a second site of interest without axially translating the static central core;
- and
- treating the body portion within the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.