Patent ID: 7648462

Claim:
An intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system, comprising: an intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter having an elongated catheter body, the catheter including: an imaging ultrasound transducer carried by the elongated catheter body, the ultrasound transducer configured to generate and receive ultrasound energy; a temperature sensor positioned relative to the imaging ultrasound transducer along the elongated catheter body so as to sense a temperature caused by the ultrasound transducer; and a plurality of wires for coupling to the imaging ultrasound transducer and the temperature sensor; a separate isolation box electrically coupled to the plurality of wires and to a cable; and ultrasound equipment coupled to the cable, wherein the isolation box includes a cutoff circuit comprising an enable/disable input to a plurality of gates, the enable/disable input configured to receive signals from the temperature sensor and automatically cut off power to the ultrasound transducer from the ultrasound equipment by gating wires in the isolation box leading to the plurality of wires for coupling to the transducer elements if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor exceeds a known value.