Therapeutic catheter with displacement sensing transducer
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsAlan Eskuri, Daniel Lafontaine
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Abstract
A catheter device having a proboscis, such as a needle, and a transducer which detects the axial displacement of the proboscis in relation to the distal tip of the catheter. The transducer is positioned at a distal portion of the catheter and may comprise an induction coil or a potentiometer. Axial displacement of the proboscis changes the amount of inductance or resistance in the transducer. This change in inductance or resistance can be calibrated to the amount of axial displacement of the proboscis and provided as feedback to the user.
Claims23
A catheter device having a proximal end and a distal end, comprising:
- (a) an elongated hollow housing at the distal end;
- (b) a proboscis assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the proboscis assembly has a central axis and is axially movable relative to the hollow housing;
- and
- (c) a transducer for measuring axial displacement of the proboscis assembly relative to the hollow housing, wherein the transducer comprises an induction coil.
A catheter device having a proximal end and a distal end, comprising:
- (a) an elongated hollow housing at the distal end;
- (b) a proboscis assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the proboscis assembly has a central axis and is axially movable relative to the hollow housing;
- and
- (c) a transducer for measuring axial displacement of the proboscis assembly relative to the hollow housing, wherein the transducer comprises a potentiometer.
A method of using a catheter device, comprising:
- (i) providing a catheter device comprising:
- (a) an elongated hollow housing at the distal end;
- (b) a proboscis assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the proboscis assembly has a central axis and is axially movable relative to the hollow housing;
- and
- (c) a transducer for measuring axial displacement of the proboscis assembly relative to the hollow housing;
- (ii) advancing the catheter device through a body lumen;
- (iii) advancing the proboscis assembly;
- and
- (iv) detecting the axial displacement of the proboscis assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.