Chronic total occlusion crossing devices with imaging
AssigneeAvinger, Inc.
InventorsPeter H. Smith, Manish Kankaria, Priyanshu Gupta, Nicholas J. Spinelli, Charles W. McNall
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Abstract
An imaging device includes a hollow flexible shaft having a central longitudinal axis and an imaging window therein. An optical fiber extends within the hollow flexible shaft substantially along the central axis. A distal tip of the optical fiber is attached to the hollow flexible shaft and aligned with the imaging window so as to transfer an optical coherence tomography signal through the imaging window. A handle is attached to the hollow flexible shaft configured rotate the hollow flexible shaft at speeds of greater than 1,000 rpm.
Claims15
An imaging device comprising:
- a hollow flexible shaft having a central longitudinal axis and an imaging window therein;
- an outer sheath extending around the hollow flexible shaft, wherein the outer sheath includes an optically clear annular section at a distal end thereof;
- an optical fiber extending within the hollow flexible shaft substantially along the central axis, a distal tip of the optical fiber attached to the hollow flexible shaft and aligned with the imaging window so as to transfer an optical coherence tomography signal through the imaging window;
- and
- a handle attached to the hollow flexible shaft configured rotate the hollow flexible shaft at speeds of greater than 1,000 rpm.
A method of imaging a body lumen, the method comprising:
- inserting an outer sheath into the body lumen, the outer sheath having an optically clear annular section at a distal end thereof;
- inserting an imaging device into a lumen of the other sheath, the imaging device including a hollow flexible shaft having a central longitudinal axis with an imaging window therein and an optical fiber extending within the hollow flexible shaft, wherein a distal tip of the optical fiber is attached to the hollow flexible shaft and aligned with the imaging window, the optical fiber extending substantially along the central longitudinal axis;
- rotating the hollow flexible shaft within the lumen of the outer sheath with a handle attached to the hollow flexible sheath at speeds greater than 1,000 rpm;
- and
- collecting images of the body lumen through the imaging window and the optically clear annular section with the optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.