Patent ID: 6511432
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An ultrasound catheter for imaging tissue within a body, the ultrasound catheter comprising:a transmission line having a distal end; a rotatable transducer responsive to a transducer excitation signal from the transmission line, the rotatable transducer generating a first signal representative of data about body tissue; a preamplifier having an input and output; a first protection circuit coupling the rotatable transducer to the input of the preamplifier, the first protection circuit coupling the first signal to the input of the preamplifier and protecting the preamplifier from the transducer excitation signal, wherein the preamplifier generates an amplified first signal; and a second protection circuit coupling the output of the preamplifier to the transmission line, the second protection circuit also coupling the amplified first signal produced by the preamplifier to the transmission line and protecting the preamplifier from the transducer excitation signal.