Acist Medical Systems, Inc.

Alan Evans

Steven Paul Plager

Khoi Le

Todd Suchecki

Marty Hieb

Darryl Wrolson

Chris Lins

Bill West

Simon M Furnish

William Kurt Dierking

Jason Fredrick Hiltner

James Lamar Gray, Ii

Robert Foster Wilson

Thomas M Snyder

Jason F Hiltner

Bryan Brutlag

Todd M Suchecki

James Lamar Ii Gray

Darryl T Wrolson

Golf bag protection clip

Embodiments for assessing flow at an anatomical region of interest are disclosed. One embodiment uses pulsed contrast media injections at a known frequency along with corresponding image data to derive a measurement of blood flow velocity at the region of interest. Another embodiment uses incremental changes in known contrast media injection flow rates to match the blood flow rate relative to one of these known contrast media injection flow rates based on the presence of a particular indicia in image data. For example, this indicia can be the flow of contrast media out from a coronary artery back into the aorta or the onset of a steady state pixel density. A further embodiment uses contrast media injections that are synchronized with the cardiac cycle. For example, contrast media injections can be synchronized with the diastolic and/or systolic phases and used to measure blood flow accordingly.

Flow measurement using image data

Methods and sensor delivery devices for monitoring a fluid pressure within a vascular structure, the devices including an elongated sheath sized for sliding along a guidewire, a sensor assembly including a fiber optic sensor, a housing surrounding the sensor, a first cavity between the distal end of the sensor and a distal aperture of the housing, a filler extending from at least the distal end of the housing distally and tapering inward toward the outer surface of the sheath, a second cavity in the filler with an opening at the outer surface of the filler and adjoining the distal aperture of the housing, and an optical fiber. The sensor delivery device may also include an outer layer that partially covers the second cavity with an aperture over the opening of the second cavity.

Fiber optic sensor assembly for sensor delivery device

Described herein are methods and systems for calculating a corrected Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR). An illustrative method includes delivering a first pressure sensing device including a pressure sensor to a location in a blood vessel having a stenosis, positioning the pressure sensor distal to the stenosis, measuring the distal pressure, measuring the proximal pressure, and calculating a corrected FFR using the measured proximal and distal pressures and applying a correction factor or correction equation. The corrected FFR may approximate a FFR that would have been obtained if the pressure measured downstream of the stenosis was measured using a second pressure sensing device having a second maximum cross-sectional area in a distal portion of the second pressure sensing device that is different from the first maximum cross-sectional area.

Intravascular sensing method and system

Methods and systems for calculating a corrected Fractional Flow Reserve. Methods include delivering a pressure sensing device including a pressure sensor to a location in an artery having a stenosis, positioning the pressure sensor distal to the stenosis, measuring the distal pressure, measuring the proximal pressure, and calculating a corrected Fractional Flow Reserve using the measured proximal and distal pressures and applying a correction factor or correction equation. The correction factor or correction equation corrects for changes in the measured distal pressure caused by a presence of the pressure sensing device. A data set of correction factors or correction equations may be stored in a memory component of the system. The corrected Fractional Flow reserve may approximate the Fractional Flow Reserve that would be obtained if a different sized device was used to measure the distal pressure, such as a pressure sensing guidewire having a 0.014 inch outer diameter.

In general, this disclosure relates to techniques for sealing, or pinching, high-pressure fluid tubing (e.g., braided tubing) that may be used to deliver medical fluid from a powered medical fluid injection device, such as an injector that delivers contrast media and/or saline during angiographic or computed tomography (CT) procedures. In some cases, one or more low-friction, solenoid-based pinch valve mechanisms may be used. One example powered medical fluid injection device comprises an injector head and at least one pinch valve mechanism that is coupled to the injector head. The at least one pinch valve mechanism comprises a plunger, a reciprocating arm driven by the plunger, and a tube pinching area. The at least one pinch valve mechanism, when deactivated by the injector head, is configured to cause the reciprocating arm to pinch fluid tubing that runs through the tube pinching area.

Pinch valve mechanism for a medical fluid injection device

Growing community of inventors

Otsego, MN, United States of America

Alan Evans