Patent ID: 9320493
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for performing measurements in an artery, comprising: a Doppler catheter, including a Doppler transducer and a wire connected to the Doppler transducer, said Doppler catheter further comprising a first connector and a second connector, the first connector containing the wire; and an elongated catheter body having a conduit therein for housing the wire of the Doppler catheter, said body having a proximal end and a distal end; a third connector attached to the catheter body, said third connector shaped to mate with the first connector to form a stable connection between the catheter body and the Doppler catheter; and a sleeve having a first position and a second position wherein, when in the first position, the sleeve encloses substantially all of the wire, save for a wire portion proximate to the Doppler transducer protectable by a cap, thus protecting the wire from an environment and, when in the second position, the sleeve does not enclose most of the wire and the wire passes into the conduit of the elongated catheter body; wherein said wire and Doppler transducer are movable in the conduit through the stable connection between the proximal end and the distal end of the catheter body after the stable connection has been formed so that the Doppler transducer and the wire are capable of being threaded into said conduit at the proximal end through the stable connection after the distal end of the catheter has been inserted into the artery, until the Doppler transducer emerges outside the conduit at the distal end of said body for performing ultrasound measurements in the artery.