Patent ID: 6078831
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
An imaging guidewire for use with a separate catheter, the catheter including a guidewire lumen for receiving the imaging guidewire, the catheter being axially moveable along the entire length of the imaging guidewire, said imaging guidewire comprising:a guidewire body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said guidewire body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said guidewire body being substantially transparent to imaging energy, and at least a portion of said guidewire body being formed from a material having sufficient flexibility to traverse a tortuous path through a vascular system and having sufficient torsional and lateral stiffness to transmit a pushing force from the proximal end to the distal end when said guidewire body is disposed within said vascular system;a flexible elongate imaging core slideably received within said guidewire body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said guidewire body, said imaging device adapted to receive imaging energy related to an internal anatomical structure and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor;the imaging guidewire having a maximum diameter along its entire length not exceeding substantially 0.035 inch;wherein said imaging core is axially translatable relative to said guidewire body to enable axial translation of said imaging device.