Intravascular imaging detector

Title: Intravascular imaging detector

Related Patent Categories: Surgery, Diagnostic Testing, Detecting Nuclear, Electromagnetic, Or Ultrasonic Radiation, With Tomographic Imaging Obtained From Electromagnetic Wave

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060195031, Intravascular imaging detector.

1. An imaging catheter comprising: a catheter body comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion; a flexible membrane disposed at the distal portion of the catheter body, wherein the flexible membrane is movable between a deflated position and an inflated position; and an array of radiation detectors coupled to the flexible membrane.

2. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the radiation detector comprises: a liquid scintillator disposed within the flexible membrane, wherein the liquid scintillator can absorb a beta particle and emit a first scintillation light; and a scintillator optically coupled to a distal end of an optical fiber, wherein the scintillator is disposed within the flexible membrane to absorb the first scintillation light from the liquid scintillator and to transmit a second scintillation light down the optical fiber.

3. The catheter of claim 2 comprising a moveable shield disposed over the scintillator.

4. The catheter of claim 2 further comprising a photodetector coupled to a proximal end of the optical fiber to receive the second scintillation light.

5. The catheter of claim 2 wherein the catheter body comprises a lumen for delivering the liquid scintillator into the flexible membrane.

6. The catheter of claim 2 wherein the flexible membrane in the inflated configuration has a diameter that is between approximately two and three times larger than the diameter of the flexible membrane in the deflated configuration.

7. The catheter of claim 2 wherein the scintillator has a length between approximately five centimeters and ten centimeters.

8. The catheter of claim 2 wherein the first scintillation light has a shorter wavelength than the second scintillation light transmitted down the optical fiber.

9. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the radiation detectors comprise a series of semiconductor radiation detectors attached to the flexible membrane.

10. The catheter of claim 9 wherein the semiconductor detectors are Si-pin diodes.

11. The catheter of claim 9 wherein the flexible membrane in the expanded configuration presses the semiconductor radiation detectors against a radiopharmaceutical coupled to a wall of a body lumen.

12. The catheter of claim 9 wherein the flexible membrane comprises an inner and outer layer, wherein the semiconductor radiation detectors are disposed between the inner and outer layer.

13. The catheter of claim 9 wherein the flexible membrane in the inflated configuration is filled with Xenon.

14. The catheter of claim 1 further comprising: an inner electrode disposed within the flexible membrane; a moveable insulating sleeve disposed over the inner electrode; an outer electrode attached to the flexible membrane; and an Xenon gas disposed in the flexible membrane.

15. The catheter of claim 14 further comprising a mesh insulator disposed between the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

16. A method of locating and characterizing radiopharmaceuticals in a body lumen, the method comprising: advancing a catheter through the body lumen; and expanding a flexible membrane on the catheter to move the radiation detectors closer to the radiopharmaceuticals in the body lumen.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising operating the radiation detectors in search mode to determine the presence of radiopharmaceuticals in the body lumen.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein expanding is carried out when it is determined from the search mode that a concentration of radiopharmaceuticals are present in the portion of the body lumen.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising switching the radiation detectors to an imaging mode to obtain a high resolution of the radiopharmaceuticals.

20. The method of claim 16 comprising attaching the radiopharmaceuticals to unstable plaque.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the radiation detectors comprise a semiconductor radiation detector, a scintillator, an ionization chamber, or an imaging plate.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the flexible membrane is in a deflated configuration during advancing.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the radiation detectors provide a spatial resolution of one millimeter to three millimeters.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein advancing comprises moving the catheter over a guidewire.

25. The method of claim 16 comprising transmitting information from the radiation detector to data acquisition electronics.

26. A kit comprising: a catheter comprising at least one radiation detector disposed on an expandable flexible membrane; instructions for use comprising advancing the catheter to a target site and expanding the balloon from a deflated configuration to an expanded configuration; and a package adapted to contain the device and the instructions for use.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

Click on the above for other options relating to this Intravascular imaging detector patent application.
###

How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents
1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored.
3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords.
Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Intravascular imaging detector or other areas of interest.
###

Previous Patent Application:
Fiber tracking phantom
Next Patent Application:
Intravascular imaging detector
Industry Class:
Surgery

###

Design/code © 2009 FreshContext LLC/Freshpatents.com. Website Terms and Conditions - Also read: About this Page
Patent data source: patents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Information published here is for research/educational purposes only (and in conjunction with our Keyword Monitor) and is not meant to be used in place of the full USPTO patent document/images or a comprehensive patent archive search. Complete official applications are on file at the USPTO and often contain additional data/images (Freshpatents is currently text-only). FreshPatents.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO or firms/individuals or products/designs/ideas related to listed patents.

FreshPatents.com Support
Thank you for viewing the Intravascular imaging detector patent info.
IP-related news and info

Results in 0.49402 seconds

Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories:
Tyco , Unilever , Warner-lambert , 3m 174

* Protect your Inventions
* US Patent Office filing

Provisional Patent
Utility Patent

PATENT INFO