Patent ID: 7666143

Claim:
A catheter for ultrasound imaging of a volume, the catheter comprising: a transducer section of the catheter housing an ultrasound transducer array, the ultrasound transducer array connected with the transducer section; a motor section having a motor spaced from the transducer section; a drive shaft connected with the motor and with the transducer section or ultrasound transducer array; a flexible section of the catheter connected between the transducer section and the motor section; wherein the drive shaft extends through at least a portion of the flexible section, the drive shaft operable to rotate the ultrasound transducer array and connected transducer section substantially about a longitudinal axis of the catheter in response to force from the motor, and the flexible section operable to twist about the longitudinal axis in response to the rotation of the transducer section while the motor section remains substantially free of rotation.