Patent ID: 8668650

Claim:
A device for measuring blood pressure in a vascular structure, comprising: a tubular sheath sized for insertion into the vascular structure, the tubular sheath including an open proximal end, a closed distal end, at least two axially spaced apart openings in a sidewall thereof; and an inside peripheral surface, an elongated tube disposed within the tubular sheath and including an open proximal end, a closed distal end, a single opening in a sidewall thereof and an outside peripheral surface engaging the inside peripheral surface of the tubular sheath about the entire outside peripheral surface of the elongated tube, the elongated tube being frictionally received within the tubular sheath thereby allowing the opening of the elongated tube to be selectively aligned with one of the axially spaced apart openings of the tubular sheath at a time and so that engagement between the inside peripheral surface of the tubular sheath and the outside peripheral surface of the elongated tube substantially prevents fluid communication between the inside peripheral surface of the tubular sheath and the outside peripheral surface of the elongated tube and through the tubular sheath, and a pressure transducer in fluid communication with the elongated tube proximal end so that blood from the vascular structure is communicated to the pressure transducer when the elongated tube opening is aligned with one of the tubular sheath openings, thereby to directly measure the blood pressure; wherein the blood pressure measuring device has a distal portion that is inserted into the vascular structure, and wherein an exterior surface of the distal portion of the blood pressure measuring device has a cross-sectional profile of a single circle.