Catheter having probes for correcting for non-uniform rotation of a transducer located within the catheter
US6019726A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 10, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 1, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 10, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B8/4461
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A catheter for imaging a cavity. The catheter includes a sheath having a distal end that is introduced into a cavity to be imaged and a proximal end that resides outside of the cavity. The sheath includes a tubular member with a first fixed probe located proximate to the distal end and fixed in relation to the tubular member while the cavity is being imaged. The catheter also includes a transducer for delivering an energy pulse in a predetermined direction relative to the transducer and collecting echoes generated by the pulse. The transducer is located within the sheath proximate to the distal end of the sheath and includes a transducer probe affixed to the transducer. A drive cable in the catheter causes the transducer and the transducer probe to rotate relative to the sheath. The drive cable connects the transducer to a mechanical drive mechanism located at the proximate end of the sheath. A tracking circuit measures the electrical coupling between the transducer probe and the first fixed probe to determine the location of the transducer relative to the sheath.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.