US6364840B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Acoustic imaging catheter and the like
Assignee: Boston Scientific Corp
•
Filing: 2000-09-27
•
Granted: 2002-04-02
•
Expires: 2020-09-27
Abstract
Abstract Acoustic imaging balloon catheters formed by a disposable liquid-confining sheath supporting a high fidelity, flexible drive shaft which carries on its end an ultrasound transducer and includes an inflatable dilatation balloon. The shaft and transducer rotate with sufficient speed and fidelity to produce real time images on a T.V. screen. In preferred embodiments, special features that contribute to the high fidelity of the drive shaft include the particular multi-filar construction of concentric, oppositely wound, interfering coils, a pre-loaded torque condition on the coils enhancing their interfering contact, and dynamic loading of the distal end of the probe, preferably with viscous drag. The coil rotating in the presence of liquid in the sheath is used to produce a desirable pressure in the region of the transducer. Numerous selectable catheter sheaths are shown including a sheath with an integral acoustically-transparent window, sheaths with end extensions that aid in positioning, a liquid injection-producing sheath, a sheath having its window section under tension employing an axially loaded bearing, a sheath carrying a dilatation or positioning balloon over the transducer, a sheath carrying a distal rotating surgical tool and a sheath used in conjunction with a side-viewing trocar.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert J. Crowley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:51
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/68; A61B5/6846; A61B5/6847; A61B5/6848; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1492; A61B5/41; A61B5/414; A61B5/416; A61B8/00; A61B8/12; A61B8/44; A61B8/4444; A61B8/445; A61B8/4461; A61B10/00; A61B10/02; A61B10/0291; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22072; A61B2017/22078; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00184; A61B2018/00202; A61B2018/00208; A61B2018/00214; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/00898; A61B18/18; A61B18/1815; A61B2018/1861; A61B90/00; A61B90/36; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61B2090/3782; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M25/104
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
An apparatus for detection of cancerous tumors in tissue having no natural passageway, comprising: an elongated ultrasonic probe comprising an ultrasound device supported on the end of an elongated rotatable drive shaft and an elongated fluid-confining sheath adapted to receive said probe, in combination with a hollow trocar adapted to receive said probe sheath, said trocar having a side-facing sonolucent region adapted to maintain registry with said ultrasound device while said ultrasound device rotates, enabling said ultrasound device to form acoustic images of tissue into which said trocar has been forced.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
91 words
An apparatus for detection of cancerous tumors in tissue having no natural passageway, comprising: an elongated ultrasonic probe comprising an ultrasound device supported on the end of an elongated rotatable drive shaft and an elongated fluid-confining sheath adapted to receive said probe, in combination with a hollow trocar adapted to receive said probe sheath, said trocar having a side-facing sonolucent region adapted to maintain registry with said ultrasound device while said ultrasound device rotates, enabling said ultrasound device to form acoustic images of tissue into which said trocar has been forced.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transducer is removable from said trocar and said apparatus further includes a biopsy sampling device positionable in said trocar to sample tissue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said biopsy sampling device is a forceps.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said trocar has a distal end, further comprising a radioactive pellet disposed within said distal end of said trocar for radiation treatment of a tumor found by ultrasonic imaging.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotatable drive shaft is a rotatable coil-form drive shaft.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for detection of cancerous tumors in tissue having no natural passageway, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated ultrasonic probe comprising an ultrasound device supported on the end of an elongated rotatable drive shaft and an elongated fluid-confining sheath adapted to receive said probe, in combination with a hollow trocar adapted to receive said sheath, said trocar having a side-facing sonolucent region adapted to maintain registry with said ultrasound device while said ultrasound device rotates, enabling said ultrasound device to form acoustic images of tissue into which said trocar has been forced, and while observing ultrasonic images from said probe, advancing said probe into said tissue.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for detection of cancerous tumors in tissue having no natural passageway, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated ultrasonic probe comprising an ultrasound device supported on the end of an elongated rotatable drive shaft and an elongated fluid-confining sheath adapted to receive said probe, in combination with a hollow trocar adapted to receive said sheath, said trocar having a side-facing sonolucent region adapted to maintain registry with said ultrasound device while said ultrasound device rotates, enabling said ultrasound device to form acoustic images of tissue into which said trocar has been forced, and while observing ultrasonic images from said probe, advancing said probe into said tissue.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said probe is removable from said trocar, and said method further comprises, at the position of a tumor removing said ultrasound device from said trocar, and introducing to said trocar a biopsy sampling means of sampling said tumor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said biopsy sampling means is a forceps.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said tissue is a liver.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said tissue is a breast.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said rotatable drive shaft is a rotatable coil-form drive shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
131 words
A medical device for imaging body tissue having no natural passageway, comprising: an elongated trocar body adapted to enter into the body tissue having no natural passageway; a scanning system comprising an energy transmission device enclosed within the elongated trocar body, the energy transmission device being constructed to transmit energy in multiple directions toward the body tissue; a window located on a distal portion of the elongated trocar body, the window integral with the elongated trocar body and comprising a material transparent to the energy transmitted by the energy transmission device toward the body tissue; and the energy transmission device being axially translatable relative to the window and having at least one axial position in which the energy from the energy transmission device passes through the window to the body tissue.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
131 words
A medical device for imaging body tissue having no natural passageway, comprising: an elongated trocar body adapted to enter into the body tissue having no natural passageway; a scanning system comprising an energy transmission device enclosed within the elongated trocar body, the energy transmission device being constructed to transmit energy in multiple directions toward the body tissue; a window located on a distal portion of the elongated trocar body, the window integral with the elongated trocar body and comprising a material transparent to the energy transmitted by the energy transmission device toward the body tissue; and the energy transmission device being axially translatable relative to the window and having at least one axial position in which the energy from the energy transmission device passes through the window to the body tissue.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the material of the window is optically transparent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the optically transparent material comprises high-impact polystyrene.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the optically transparent material comprises polyethylene.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the material of the window is transparent to ultrasonic energy.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the energy transmission device comprises an ultrasound transducer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the energy transmission device is mounted on the distal end of a drive shaft.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the drive shaft is rotatable, so as to cause the energy transmission device to transmit energy in multiple radial directions toward the body tissue.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
57 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the drive shaft is insertable into the elongate trocar body prior to insertion of the elongate trocar body into the body of a living being, the energy transmission device being axially positionable relative to the window during insertion of the drive shaft into the elongate trocar body.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
64 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 18 , further comprising a drive shaft connector attached to the proximal end of the drive shaft, the drive shaft connector being configured to mate removably with another connector to engage electrically the ultrasound device with an ultrasound signal cable while simultaneously mechanically engaging the drive shaft with a motor device arranged to rotate the drive shaft.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 12 wherein the energy transmission device is axially translatable relative to the window while the elongate trocar body is inside the body of a living being.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The medical device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the energy transmission device is removable from the elongate trocar body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1167014A
Cited
US2029495A
Cited
US2545101A
Cited
US2779334A
Cited
US2949910A
Cited
US3256733A
Cited
US3542014A
Cited
US3547101A
Cited
US3614953A
Cited
US3762416A
Cited
US3749085A
Cited
US3699964A
Cited
US3704711A
Cited
US3779234A
Cited
US3817089A
Cited
US3773034A
Cited
US3938502A
Cited
US3749086A
Cited
US3834392A
Cited
US3837345A
Cited
US3942530A
Cited
US4011869A
Cited
US4020829A
Cited
US4020847A
Cited
US4137920A
Cited
US4176662A
Cited
US4275597A
Cited
FR2424733A1
Cited
US4375818A
Cited
GB2044103A
Cited
US4319580A
Cited
US4354501A
Cited
US4354500A
Cited
US4327738A
Cited
US4391282A
Cited
US4325381A
Cited
US4290427A
Cited
US4273128A
Cited
US4374525A
Cited
US4402308A
Cited
US4466443A
Cited
US4466444A
Cited
US4494549A
Cited
WO1983001893A1
Cited
US4431006A
Cited
US4516972A
Cited
US4546771A
Cited
US4558706A
Cited
US4633882A
Cited
US4462408A
Cited
WO1983004174A1
Cited
US4475553A
Cited
US4576177A
Cited
US4605009A
Cited
EP0139574A2
Cited
US4572201A
Cited
GB2157828A
Cited
EP0163502A2
Cited
US4674515A
Cited
US4589419A
Cited
DE3619195A1
Cited
US4732156A
Cited
FR2584288A1
Cited
US4729384A
Cited
US5000185A
Cited
US4794931A
Cited
US4821731A
Cited
EP0251745A1
Cited
US4771788A
Cited
US4991588A
Cited
US4754752A
Cited
US4887606A
Cited
US4802487A
Cited
US4936307A
Cited
US4841977A
Cited
US4951677A
Cited
US5715825A
Cited
WO1989012425A1
Cited
US4911170A
Cited
WO1990002520A1
Cited
US5105819A
Cited
US4955377A
Cited
US5049130A
Cited
US5061273A
Cited
US5040548A
Cited
US5029588A
Cited
US5002059A
Cited
WO1991003207A1
Cited
US5024234A
Cited
WO1991014401A1
Cited
US5117831A
Cited
US5095911A
Cited
US5100424A
Cited
WO1992000710A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-04-01 | 2005-10-01 | 2006-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-04-01 | 2009-10-01 | 2010-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-04-01 | 2013-10-01 | 2014-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |