Patent ID: 8000771
Filing Date: 2011-08-16
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A catheter for locating a destination vessel of a heart, comprising: a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft being adapted for navigation to the heart; a transmitting transducer configured to emit an audio frequency signal; a receiving transducer configured to detect a first energy parameter associated with cardiac activity measurable at the distal end of the flexible shaft, the first energy parameter comprising a reflected signal from the audio frequency signal and varying as a function of a distance between the destination vessel and the distal end of the flexible shaft; a switch to selectively turn off the transmitting transducer while the receiving transducer is operating and to turn on the transmitting transducer while the receiving transducer is operating, wherein when the switch is turned on, the receiving transducer is configured to detect the first energy parameter and when the switch is turned off, the receiving transducer is further configured to detect a second energy parameter, the second energy parameter comprising an acoustic signal generated by cardiac activity; and a proximal device coupled to the receiving transducer, the proximal device arranged to produce a user perceivable representation of the first energy parameter, a variation of the first energy parameter indicating a relative proximity to the destination vessel to assist in navigating the distal end of the flexible shaft to the destination vessel.