Patent ID: 8460195
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An imaging probe comprising: an outer elongate sheath; a rotatable conduit extending through said outer elongate sheath, said rotatable conduit defining a longitudinal axis, wherein said rotatable conduit is connectable to a rotational drive mechanism for adjusting an angular velocity of said rotatable conduit about said longitudinal axis; an energy emitting device affixed to said outer elongate sheath at a location remote from a proximal end thereof for producing an energy beam; an imaging assembly attached to said rotatable conduit at a location remote from a proximal end thereof, said imaging assembly including a movable member for delivering the energy beam along an energy beam path from said movable member out of said outer elongate sheath at a variable imaging angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said rotatable conduit, wherein said movable member is mounted so that the variable imaging angle between the energy beam path and said longitudinal axis of said rotatable conduit is varied by adjusting the angular velocity of said rotatable conduit; and a restoring mechanism configured to apply a torque to said movable member for urging said movable member away from a preferred orientation.