Device with infusion holes for imaging inside a blood vessel

A catheter assembly comprising:

• an elongated member having distal and proximal ends and an outer surface;
• a lumen extending in and along the elongated member;
• a plurality of holes extending between the outer surface and the lumen of the elongated member, wherein the plurality of infusion holes have inner walls extending from the lumen to the outer surface that are angled outwardly toward one end of the elongated member;
• an imaging window that is transparent to imaging energy and adapted to direct the imaging energy to an imaging area located distally to the plurality of infusion holes;
• a sidearm adapter coupled with the proximal end of the elongated member, the sidearm adapter adapted to allow a liquid to be injected into the lumen of the elongated member;
• and
• a connector assembly coupled with the sidearm adapter.

A method for operating an imaging device within a bloodstream, having a flow direction, of a blood vessel of a body, the method comprising:

• inserting the imaging device into the blood vessel of the body, the imaging device having an elongated member with a central axis and an outer surface, a lumen extending along the axis, a plurality of infusion holes defined in the elongated member and extending between the lumen and the outer surface, wherein the plurality of infusion holes have inner walls extending from the lumen to the outer surface that are angled outwardly toward one end of the elongated member, and an imaging window that is transparent to imaging energy and adapted to pass the imaging energy to an imaging area located distally to the plurality of infusion holes;
• introducing a liquid into the imaging device;
• injecting the liquid through the infusion holes of the imaging device into the bloodstream of the blood vessel against the flow direction of blood in the vessel;
• and
• performing imaging through the imaging window of the imaging device.