Patent ID: 8876722

Claim:
An endoventricular injection catheter with integrated echocardiographic capability, comprising: a first housing; a second housing; a distal section positioned distal to the second housing in an axial direction; a telescoping section including: a first supporting member positioned between the first housing and the second housing and being fixedly coupled to the second housing, a second member fixedly coupled to the first housing, the second member having a length less than or equal to a length of the first supporting member, and a third member supporting a drive cable, the third member and the drive cable extending between the first housing and the distal section, and the first supporting member, the second member and the third member are arranged a nested, coaxial arrangement such that one of the first supporting member, second member, and third member nests coaxially within the other two of the first supporting member, second member, and third member, and such that one of the other two of the first supporting member, second member, and third member nests within one of the other two of the first supporting member, second member, and third member; an imaging core positioned within the distal section, the imaging core operatively coupled to the drive cable, the imaging core being arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy and to receive reflected ultrasonic energy to provide electrical signals representing echocardiographic images to enable cardiac visualization; and an injector the injector being arranged to inject a therapeutic agent proximate the distal section, thereby injecting into tissue of the heart visualized by the imaging core during cardiac visualization.