Patent ID: 8303509

Claim:
A method of performing a medical procedure, comprising: a) advancing within a patient's anatomy an echogenic needle catheter, comprising i) an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a needle lumen; ii) a spherical distal tip at the distal end of the elongated shaft, having a lumen in communication with a proximal section of the needle lumen of the shaft and with a port at a distal end of the spherical distal tip, wherein the spherical distal tip is in continuous contact with the lumen; and iii) a needle in the needle lumen, which extends distally from the spherical distal tip port in an extended configuration, and which has a lumen; and b) directing sonic energy at the catheter from an ultrasonic imaging system, such that the spherical distal tip more diffusely reflects the sonic energy than a nonspherical distal tip, to produce an ultrasonic image of the spherical distal tip due to the spherical tip having an outer surface with a circumference angle substantially greater than 180 degrees, having a rigid outer diameter wall with a curved outer surface formed at least in part of a rigid polymeric material, and having the spherical distal tip formed at least in part of an electrically conductive material.