Patent ID: 7621874
Filing Date: 2009-11-24
Classification: A61B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A medical imaging system, comprising: an elongate medical device configured to be inserted into a blood vessel, the elongate medical device having an inner lumen located therein, wherein the inner lumen has an enclosed distal end; a flexible driveshaft having a distal end; a rotating image acquisition system insertable into the inner lumen of the elongate medical device and coupled to the distal end of the flexible drive shaft, the image acquisition system comprising an imager and a position and orientation sensor, the imager configured to image the blood vessel and the position and orientation sensor configured to detect the position and orientation of the image acquisition system in three dimensional space within the blood vessel, the image acquisition system further configured to output at least one output signal, wherein the flexible driveshaft and the image acquisition system are slidably received within the inner lumen of the elongate medical device, wherein the position and orientation sensor is disposed distal to the imager, and wherein the position and orientation sensor is configured and arranged to rotate with the imager; and an image processing system communicatively coupled with the image acquisition system and configured to process the at least one output signal and create a three dimensional image of the blood vessel based on the at least one output signal.