US5284138A — Apparatus and method for positioning a sensor awa…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 168 words

A probe assembly for inserting a probe through a lumen of a catheter and into a blood vessel, while maintaining a flow path through a catheter and positioning a distal end of the probe at a location spaced from a luminal surface of the blood vessel, wherein the catheter tends to lie along a lower vessel wall opposite a site of insertion, the probe assembly comprising: a probe having means for sensing a parameter of the blood; a support tube having an outer diameter sized to be slidably engaged within the catheter lumen and a tube lumen which forms a fluid flow path through both the tube and catheter; the probe being disposed within the tube lumen and attached to an upper tube wall portion while maintaining the flow path along a lower tube wall portion; wherein the upper wall portion of the support tube may be aligned along an upper wall of the catheter so that the probe is spaced from said lower wall of the vessel.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 168 words

A probe assembly for inserting a probe through a lumen of a catheter and into a blood vessel, while maintaining a flow path through a catheter and positioning a distal end of the probe at a location spaced from a luminal surface of the blood vessel, wherein the catheter tends to lie along a lower vessel wall opposite a site of insertion, the probe assembly comprising: a probe having means for sensing a parameter of the blood; a support tube having an outer diameter sized to be slidably engaged within the catheter lumen and a tube lumen which forms a fluid flow path through both the tube and catheter; the probe being disposed within the tube lumen and attached to an upper tube wall portion while maintaining the flow path along a lower tube wall portion; wherein the upper wall portion of the support tube may be aligned along an upper wall of the catheter so that the probe is spaced from said lower wall of the vessel.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the probe is an optical probe.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing means is adapted for measuring a blood parameter selected from the group consisting of oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, and ion concentration.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 19 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing means is disposed at the distal end of the probe.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising means for positioning the distal end of the probe a fixed distance from a distal end of the catheter.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 20 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the support tube has tapered ends to ease insertion through the catheter lumen.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 30 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising a Y-body having a main lumen in which a proximal end of the probe is positioned and a secondary lumen for fluids.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 13 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the tube is a cylindrical member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the support tube has diagonally tapered ends between the upper and lower wall portions, and the upper wall portion is longer than the lower wall portion.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 36 words

The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the support tube includes a lower shield portion positionable outside the catheter lumen which prevents the distal end of the probe from contacting the lower wall of the vessel.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 13 words

The probe assembly of claim 10, wherein the support tube has tapered ends.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 14 words

The probe assembly of claim 10, wherein the support tube is a helical member.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

The probe assembly of claim 12, wherein the helical member has an upper portion of lesser diameter engaging the probe and a lower portion of greater diameter for engaging the catheter lumen.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 13 words

The probe assembly of claim 13, wherein the helical member has rounded ends.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 22 words

The probe assembly of claim 10, wherein the support tube has parallel diagonally tapered ends between the upper and lower wall portions.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 172 words

A system for inserting a probe through a lumen of a catheter and into a blood vessel, while maintaining a flow path through the catheter and positioning a distal end of the probe at a location spaced from a luminal surface of the blood vessel, the system comprising: a catheter which when passed through an insertion site tends to lie along a lower vessel wall opposite the site of insertion; a probe having means for sensing a parameter of the blood; a support tube having an outer diameter sized to be slidably engaged within the catheter lumen and a tube lumen which forms a fluid flow path through both the tube and catheter; the probe being disposed within the tube lumen and attached to an upper tube wall portion while maintaining the flow path along a lower tube wall portion; wherein the upper wall portion of the support tube may be aligned along an upper wall of the catheter so that the probe is spaced from said lower wall of the vessel.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 172 words

A system for inserting a probe through a lumen of a catheter and into a blood vessel, while maintaining a flow path through the catheter and positioning a distal end of the probe at a location spaced from a luminal surface of the blood vessel, the system comprising: a catheter which when passed through an insertion site tends to lie along a lower vessel wall opposite the site of insertion; a probe having means for sensing a parameter of the blood; a support tube having an outer diameter sized to be slidably engaged within the catheter lumen and a tube lumen which forms a fluid flow path through both the tube and catheter; the probe being disposed within the tube lumen and attached to an upper tube wall portion while maintaining the flow path along a lower tube wall portion; wherein the upper wall portion of the support tube may be aligned along an upper wall of the catheter so that the probe is spaced from said lower wall of the vessel.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 52 words

The system of claim 16, further comprising: a fitting to which a proximal portion of the probe is attached, said fitting having a releasable attaching means for connecting the fitting and catheter such that the distal end of the probe is positioned a fixed distance from a distal end of the catheter.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 26 words

The system of claim 17, wherein the fitting is a Y-body having a main lumen through which the probe passes and a secondary lumen for fluids.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system of claim 16, wherein the catheter is sized for use in the radial artery.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 19, wherein the sensing means is adapted for measuring a blood parameter selected from the group consisting of oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, and ion concentration.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 95 words

A method for inserting a probe within a blood vessel at a location spaced from a luminal surface of the vessel, comprising the steps of: providing a probe assembly as defined in claim 1; inserting a catheter having a lumen through an insertion site and into a blood vessel, wherein the catheter tends to lie along a lower vessel wall opposite the site of insertion; and advancing the probe through the catheter lumen so that the probe emerges from a distal end of the catheter and is spaced from a lower wall of the vessel.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 136 words

A probe assembly for inserting a probe through a lumen of a catheter and spaced from a body member comprising: a probe; a support member attached to the probe to form said probe assembly which is slidably engagable within said catheter lumen and maintains the probe along one wall of the catheter lumen and a distal end of the probe outside a distal end of the catheter, such that when another wall of the catheter, opposite the one wall along which the probe is maintained, lies in contact with a body member, the distal end of the probe is spaced from the body member, wherein the support member comprises a tube having an outer diameter sized to slidably engage the catheter lumen and a tube lumen which forms the fluid flow path through the catheter lumen.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 136 words

A probe assembly for inserting a probe through a lumen of a catheter and spaced from a body member comprising: a probe; a support member attached to the probe to form said probe assembly which is slidably engagable within said catheter lumen and maintains the probe along one wall of the catheter lumen and a distal end of the probe outside a distal end of the catheter, such that when another wall of the catheter, opposite the one wall along which the probe is maintained, lies in contact with a body member, the distal end of the probe is spaced from the body member, wherein the support member comprises a tube having an outer diameter sized to slidably engage the catheter lumen and a tube lumen which forms the fluid flow path through the catheter lumen.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1997-02-07	1997-08-09	1998-02-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2001-02-07	2001-08-09	2002-02-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2005-02-07	2005-08-09	2006-02-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus and method for positioning a sensor away from the blood vessel wall

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