Patent ID: 7426409

Claim:
A thermal sensor basket catheter for detecting temperature heterogeneity of plaque along a vessel wall, comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; an expandable basket at said distal end of said catheter, said expandable basket formed by at least four hollow channels and having proximal and distal ends, each said channel comprising a thermally conductive material and having a vessel wall-contacting side, a lumen-facing side, and a terminus; a hollow shaft joined to said proximal end of said expandable basket; a tip joined to said distal end of said expandable basket, wherein at least one said channel terminus is moveably enclosed inside said tip; a thermal sensor disposed on the vessel wall-contacting side of each said channel at a point about mid-way between said basket proximal and distal ends, said thermal sensor comprising a thermocouple junction in thermal contact with said vessel wall-contacting side and thermally insulated from said lumen-facing side; a pair of insulated wires in electrical contact with each said thermal sensor and extending from said thermal sensor through said proximal end and through said hollow shaft; and a signal processor coupled to said proximal end of said catheter and in communication with said one or more thermal sensors, said processor being capable of receiving thermal information from said one or more thermal sensors and differentiating the different types of plaque based on the thermal information received.