Patent ID: 6529760
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
An imaging guidewire for imaging an internal body structure with imaging energy to create high quality imaging signals, the imaging guidewire comprising:a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to said imaging energy; a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core adapted to output imaging energy at a distal end of said imaging core through said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging core configured to receive said imaging energy related to the internal body structure and to transmit resulting high quality imaging signals to an imaging signal processor; the imaging guidewire having a maximum diameter along the majority of its entire length not exceeding that which can effectively receive a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter; wherein said imaging core is axially translatable relative to said body; and a connector on the proximal end of said imaging core adapted to provide only a mechanical coupling to a mating connector on a drive unit and to propagate said high quality imaging signals by indirect coupling between said drive unit and said imaging core.