Patent ID: 6059731
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A catheter apparatus, comprising:an elongated flexible catheter body having a longitudinal axis;a first ultrasonic transducer side array having a row of ultrasonic transducer elements longitudinally mounted on the body along a first side of the body;an ultrasonic transducer end array having at least two rows of ultrasonic transducer elements mounted on the body at a forward end of the body;a second ultrasonic transducer side array having a row of ultrasonic transducer elements longitudinally mounted on the body along a second side of the body; andwherein the first ultrasonic transducer side array and the ultrasonic transducer end array are disposed in a first plane, the second ultrasonic transducer side array and the ultrasonic transducer end array are disposed in a second plane, the ultrasonic transducer elements of the first and second side arrays and the end array being operable as a single ultrasound transducer which are phased to produce a field of multi-planar side-and-end view.