Multiple electrode affixable sheet

Claim 2

A multi-element electrode structure removably affixable to an essentially cylindrical esophageal probe which can then be inserted into the esophagus of a patient, the electrode structure comprising: a rectangular insulative sheet member having a selected length dimension and a width dimension corresponding to the perimeter of the esophageal probe; a plurality of spaced electrodes carried by said sheet member; adhesive means carried by said sheet member for removably affixing said member to the probe; and a plurality of elongated conducting members with each said conducting member having an end in electrical contact with a respective one of said electrodes.

Claim 3

A multi-element electrode as in claim 1 with said plurality of elongated conducting members carrying an electrical connector displaced from said sheet member.

Claim 4

A multi-element electrode as in claim 1 with said sheet member formed of a selected plastic.

Claim 5

A multi-element electrode as in claim 2 including means, couplable to said connector, for electrically selecting at least one of said electrodes.

Claim 6

A multi-element electrode as in claim 2 including means, for electrically selecting at least first and second of said electrodes.

Claim 9

A method as in claim 6 including removing the probe from the esophagus and then removing the plurality of electrodes from the housing of the probe.

Claim 10

An esophageal pacing probe usable to pace the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distal end; an ultrasonic transmitter carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes carried on said body portion between said proximal end and said transmitter but spaced therefrom thereby providing for independent positioning of said transmitter and a selected pacing electrode with respect to the patient's heart.

Claim 11

An esophageal pacing probe usable to pace the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distal end; an ultrasonic transmitter carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes carried on said body portion between said proximal end and said transmitter but spaced therefrom thereby providing for independent positioning of said transmitter and a selected pacing electrode with respect to the patient's heart.

Claim 12

An esophageal probe as in claim 8 including a layer of adhesive between said body portion and said electrodes.

Claim 13

An esophageal probe as in claim 9 with said plurality of electrodes removably attached to said body portion.

Claim 14

An esophageal probe as in claim 9 with said plurality of electrodes fixedly attached to said body portion.

Claim 15

An esophageal probe as in claim 8 with said plurality of electrodes fixedly attached to said body portion.

Claim 16

An esophageal probe as in claim 8 connectable to an external electrical device and including means, coupled to said transmitter and extending to said proximal end of said body portion, for connection to the external electrical device.

Claim 17

An esophageal probe as in claim 13 including an ultrasonic receiver carried on said distal end of said body portion.

Claim 18

An esophageal probe as in claim 8 including means for electrical conduction coupled to at least some members of said plurality of electrodes and extending to said proximal end of said body portion.

Claim 19

An esophageal probe as in claim 8 including means, couplable to said proximal end of said body portion, for selecting first and second electrodes from said plurality of electrodes.

Claim 20

An esophageal probe comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; an imaging transmitter/receiving carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes usable for esophageal pacing affixed to said body between said proximal end and said transmitter/receiver with at least some of said electrodes located about 10 centimeters from said transmitter/receiver; and means for electrically coupling to and selecting at least some of said electrodes.

Claim 21

An esophageal probe comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; an imaging transmitter/receiving carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes usable for esophageal pacing affixed to said body between said proximal end and said transmitter/receiver with at least some of said electrodes located about 10 centimeters from said transmitter/receiver; and means for electrically coupling to and selecting at least some of said electrodes.

Claim 22

An esophageal probe as in claim 17 with said plurality of electrodes carried on a non-conducting member affixed to said body.

Claim 23

An esophageal probe as in claim 17 with said coupling means including a plurality of elongated conducting members for conveying electrical signals to and from said electrodes.

Claim 24

An esophageal probe as in claim 17 with said body being generally cylindrical and with said electrodes forming a plurality of circumferential conductors around said cylindrical body.

Claim 25

A multi-function cardiac imaging probe insertable into the esophagus of a subject adjacent a posterior heart surface and couplable to an exterior electrical pacing unit comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end with said distal end insertable into the esophagus; an ultrasonic heart function imaging transmitter/receiver carried on said distal end; a plurality of more than two spaced-apart conductive members carried on said distal end adjacent to, but spaced from said transmitter/receiver toward said proximal end; means for selecting a pacing electrode from said plurality; a plurality of elongated conductive wires carried by said body with each said wire having a proximal end and a distal end, each said distal end coupled to a respective one of said conductive members with said proximal ends coupled to aid selecting means, said selecting means couplable to the exterior electrical pacing unit and with both said transmitter/receiver and said selected electrode independently located with respect to the heart.

Claim 26

A multi-function cardiac imaging probe insertable into the esophagus of a subject adjacent a posterior heart surface and couplable to an exterior electrical pacing unit comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end with said distal end insertable into the esophagus; an ultrasonic heart function imaging transmitter/receiver carried on said distal end; a plurality of more than two spaced-apart conductive members carried on said distal end adjacent to, but spaced from said transmitter/receiver toward said proximal end; means for selecting a pacing electrode from said plurality; a plurality of elongated conductive wires carried by said body with each said wire having a proximal end and a distal end, each said distal end coupled to a respective one of said conductive members with said proximal ends coupled to aid selecting means, said selecting means couplable to the exterior electrical pacing unit and with both said transmitter/receiver and said selected electrode independently located with respect to the heart.

Claim 31

A method as in claim 23 including removing the probe from the esophagus and the removing the plurality of electrodes from the housing of the probe.

Claim 32

An esophageal imaging probe insertable, at last in part into the esophagus of a patient and extending adjacent a posterior surface of the patient's heart comprising: an insertable elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distal end; an ultrasonic imaging transmitter carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart pacing electrodes carried by said body portion adjacent said transmitter but spaced therefrom toward said proximal end with said plurality of electrodes and said body portion coupled together by at least one layer of adhesive with at least a first electrode independently selectable from said plurality to carry out a heart pacing function simultaneously with said imaging transmitter carrying out a heart imaging function.

Claim 33

An esophageal imaging probe insertable, at last in part into the esophagus of a patient and extending adjacent a posterior surface of the patient's heart comprising: an insertable elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distal end; an ultrasonic imaging transmitter carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart pacing electrodes carried by said body portion adjacent said transmitter but spaced therefrom toward said proximal end with said plurality of electrodes and said body portion coupled together by at least one layer of adhesive with at least a first electrode independently selectable from said plurality to carry out a heart pacing function simultaneously with said imaging transmitter carrying out a heart imaging function.

Claim 34

An esophageal probe as in claim 25 with said plurality of electrodes removably coupled to said body portion.

Claim 35

An esophageal probe as in claim 25 with said plurality of electrodes fixedly coupled to said body portion.

Claim 36

An esophageal probe as in claim 25 connectable to an external electrical pacing device and including means, coupled to said electrodes and extending to said proximal end of said body portion, for connection to the external electrical device.

Claim 37

An esophageal probe as in claim 25 including manually adjustable means, couplable to said proximal end of said body portion, for selecting said first and a second pacing electrode from said plurality of electrodes.

Claim 38

An esophageal probe comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; an imaging transmitter/receiver carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes usable for esophageal pacing supported on said body adjacent to but spaced from said transmitter/receiver toward said proximal end; and means for electrically coupling to and selecting at least a first of said electrodes spaced from said imaging transmitter/receiver for carrying out a heart imaging function simultaneously with a pacing function with said electrodes and said body joined together by at least one adhesive layer.

Claim 39

An esophageal probe comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; an imaging transmitter/receiver carried on said distal end; a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes usable for esophageal pacing supported on said body adjacent to but spaced from said transmitter/receiver toward said proximal end; and means for electrically coupling to and selecting at least a first of said electrodes spaced from said imaging transmitter/receiver for carrying out a heart imaging function simultaneously with a pacing function with said electrodes and said body joined together by at least one adhesive layer.

Claim 40

An esophageal pacing/imaging probe useable with a source of electrical pacing signals and insertable, at least in part, into an esophagus of a subject, adjacent the subject's heart comprising: an elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distally located region insertable into the esophagus; an ultrasonic transmitter carried on said insertable region; a plurality of esophageal pacing electrodes carrie don said insertable region, displaced from said transmitter a selected distance; and switch means for selecting first and second pacing electrodes from said plurality and for coupling electrical pacing signal thereto from the source for pacing signals with said transmitter and said selected electrodes each independently located relative to the patient's heart to carry out respectively a heart imaging function and a heart pacing function.

Claim 41

An esophageal pacing/imaging probe useable with a source of electrical pacing signals and insertable, at least in part, into an esophagus of a subject, adjacent the subject's heart comprising: an elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distally located region insertable into the esophagus; an ultrasonic transmitter carried on said insertable region; a plurality of esophageal pacing electrodes carrie don said insertable region, displaced from said transmitter a selected distance; and switch means for selecting first and second pacing electrodes from said plurality and for coupling electrical pacing signal thereto from the source for pacing signals with said transmitter and said selected electrodes each independently located relative to the patient's heart to carry out respectively a heart imaging function and a heart pacing function.

Claim 42

An esophageal pacing/imaging probe useable with a source of pacing signals and insertable, at least in part, into an esophagus of a subject, adjacent the subject's heart and usable with a switch for selecting at least one pacing electrode and for coupling electrical pacing signal thereto from the source of pacing signals the probe comprising: an elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distally located region insertable into the esophagus; an ultrasonic transmitter carried on said insertable region; and a plurality of esophageal pacing electrodes carried on said insertable region, displaced from said transmitter a selected distance toward said proximal end and couplable to the switch with both said transmitter and said selected electrode independently locatable relative to the patient's heart to carry out respectively a heart imaging function and a heart pacing function.

Claim 43

An esophageal pacing/imaging probe useable with a source of pacing signals and insertable, at least in part, into an esophagus of a subject, adjacent the subject's heart and usable with a switch for selecting at least one pacing electrode and for coupling electrical pacing signal thereto from the source of pacing signals the probe comprising: an elongated body portion having a proximal end and a distally located region insertable into the esophagus; an ultrasonic transmitter carried on said insertable region; and a plurality of esophageal pacing electrodes carried on said insertable region, displaced from said transmitter a selected distance toward said proximal end and couplable to the switch with both said transmitter and said selected electrode independently locatable relative to the patient's heart to carry out respectively a heart imaging function and a heart pacing function.