US5176141A — Disposable intra-luminal ultrasonic instrument

Claim 1

Independent Claim 292 words

A disposable intra-luminal catheter probe type ultrasonic instrument for the examination and/or treatment of blood vessels having a small transverse cross-section, said instrument including a flexible, guidewire receiving, catheter comprising a body and a tip having a distal end and a distal end portion adapted to be introduced into a lumen of a blood vessel and a proximal portion, said catheter having a diameter no greater than 3 millimeters, and a small motor in said tip having a length no greater than approximately 6 millimeters, a diameter no greater than approximately 2.4 millimeters and drive shaft extending from one end of said motor, a rotatable member having an acoustical mirror face mounted in said tip and one said drive shaft for being rotated by said motor at a selected rpm synchronized with a raster across a visual display to which echoes of sound waves received by said mirror face are supplied, the angular position of the acoustic mirror face being oriented to correspond to the angle of an echo display line on the visual display, and means including a transducer facing said mirror face for generating and supplying sound waves along an axis of propagation to said rotatable acoustical mirror face at a frequency no greater than 60 megahertz for reflection therefrom to obtain a sufficient depth of field with sufficient resolution to determine the makeup or constitution of the matter, such as tissue or plaque, in the space being investigated around said catheter tip, said rotatable acoustic mirror face being located in said distal end portion, and said mirror face lying in a plane that intersects, at an angle, the axis of the drive shaft and the axis of the propagation of sound waves from said means for generating sound waves.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 292 words

A disposable intra-luminal catheter probe type ultrasonic instrument for the examination and/or treatment of blood vessels having a small transverse cross-section, said instrument including a flexible, guidewire receiving, catheter comprising a body and a tip having a distal end and a distal end portion adapted to be introduced into a lumen of a blood vessel and a proximal portion, said catheter having a diameter no greater than 3 millimeters, and a small motor in said tip having a length no greater than approximately 6 millimeters, a diameter no greater than approximately 2.4 millimeters and drive shaft extending from one end of said motor, a rotatable member having an acoustical mirror face mounted in said tip and one said drive shaft for being rotated by said motor at a selected rpm synchronized with a raster across a visual display to which echoes of sound waves received by said mirror face are supplied, the angular position of the acoustic mirror face being oriented to correspond to the angle of an echo display line on the visual display, and means including a transducer facing said mirror face for generating and supplying sound waves along an axis of propagation to said rotatable acoustical mirror face at a frequency no greater than 60 megahertz for reflection therefrom to obtain a sufficient depth of field with sufficient resolution to determine the makeup or constitution of the matter, such as tissue or plaque, in the space being investigated around said catheter tip, said rotatable acoustic mirror face being located in said distal end portion, and said mirror face lying in a plane that intersects, at an angle, the axis of the drive shaft and the axis of the propagation of sound waves from said means for generating sound waves.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said motor has a side which faces toward said distal end and said drive shaft extends from said side facing said distal end.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 32 words

The instrument of claim 2 wherein said transducer is mounted in said tip between said rotatable member and said motor and has a central passageway therethrough through which said drive shaft extends.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said drive shaft extends proximally from said distal end of said catheter tip, and said transducer is positioned in said tip opposite said mirror face, which faces proximally from said distal end of said catheter tip.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 33 words

The instrument of claim 2 wherein said transducer is mounted within said distal end portion at said distal end of said catheter tip and faces proximally toward said mirror face which faces distally.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 26 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said motor has a length no greater than approximately 4 millimeters and a diameter no greater than approximately 1 millimeter.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 25 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said catheter includes electrical conductors for supplying electric power to said motor and to said sound wave generating means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 51 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said catheter has a central channel that also extends through said sound wave generating means and through said shaft through and to said distal end of said tip distal end portion, and said instrument includes a flexible guidewire which is extendable through said central channel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 21 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said sound waves are generated at a frequency of between approximately 15 and 45 megahertz.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

The instrument of claim 1 wherein said means for generating sound waves are constructed and arranged to generate sound waves at a frequency of approximately 30 megahertz.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 260 words

A disposable intra-luminal catheter probe type ultrasonic instrument for the examination and/or treatment of blood vessels lumina having a small transverse cross-section, said instrument including a flexible, guidewire receiving, catheter comprising a body and a tip having a distal end and a distal end portion adapted to be introduced into a lumen of a blood vessel and a proximal portion, said catheter having a diameter no greater than 3 millimeters, a rotatable member having an acoustical mirror face mounted in said tip, a small motor mounted in said tip and having a drive shaft mounting said rotatable member for rotating said rotatable member at a selected rpm, and mean including a transducer facing said mirror face for generating and supplying sound waves to said rotatable member along an axis of propagation at a frequency no greater than 60 megahertz for reflection by said mirror face to obtain a sufficient depth of field with sufficient resolution to determine the makeup or constitution of the matter, such as tissue or plaque, in the space being investigated around said catheter tip, said mirror face lying in a plane that intersects, at an angle, the axis of the drive shaft and the axis of propagation of sound waves from said means for generating sound waves, said motor having a side which faces toward said distal end, said drive shaft extending from said side facing said distal end, and said transducer being mounted in said tip between said rotatable member and said motor and having a central passageway therethrough through which said drive shaft extends.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 260 words

A disposable intra-luminal catheter probe type ultrasonic instrument for the examination and/or treatment of blood vessels lumina having a small transverse cross-section, said instrument including a flexible, guidewire receiving, catheter comprising a body and a tip having a distal end and a distal end portion adapted to be introduced into a lumen of a blood vessel and a proximal portion, said catheter having a diameter no greater than 3 millimeters, a rotatable member having an acoustical mirror face mounted in said tip, a small motor mounted in said tip and having a drive shaft mounting said rotatable member for rotating said rotatable member at a selected rpm, and mean including a transducer facing said mirror face for generating and supplying sound waves to said rotatable member along an axis of propagation at a frequency no greater than 60 megahertz for reflection by said mirror face to obtain a sufficient depth of field with sufficient resolution to determine the makeup or constitution of the matter, such as tissue or plaque, in the space being investigated around said catheter tip, said mirror face lying in a plane that intersects, at an angle, the axis of the drive shaft and the axis of propagation of sound waves from said means for generating sound waves, said motor having a side which faces toward said distal end, said drive shaft extending from said side facing said distal end, and said transducer being mounted in said tip between said rotatable member and said motor and having a central passageway therethrough through which said drive shaft extends.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-01-05	1996-07-06	1997-01-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-01-05	2000-07-06	2001-01-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-01-05	2004-07-06	2005-01-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Disposable intra-luminal ultrasonic instrument

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