Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Bruce Persson

Roger Noel Hastings

Daniel M Lafontaine

Jaydeep Yeshwant Kokate

Eric M DoBrava

Dnyanesh Talpade

W Scott Andrus

A balloon catheter for locating vulnerable plaque lesions within a body lumen comprising a unique balloon mounted on a catheter shaft. The balloon having an uninflated state and being expandable to an inflated state, the balloon further having an inside and an outside, the balloon being made at least partially of at least one temperature responsive material. The at least one temperature responsive material designed to exhibit at least one predetermined color when the material is in contact with an object having an elevated temperature, such as a vulnerable plaque lesion. The catheter having a lumen which allows a light source to transmit light into the inside of the balloon. The light directed to illuminate at least a portion of the temperature responsive material. A light detector positioned to detect the light reflected off of the portion of the temperature responsive material to provide indicate the presence of the suspected lesion based on one or more characteristic changes to the light reflected from the temperature responsive material.

Temperature measuring balloon

A cardiac assist device and method of use for assisting the function of a heart. The assist device includes a compressor positioned against the epicardial wall of the heart and a field generator for driving a fluid coupled to the compressor to exert pressure on the heart. The field generator may be a magnetic field generator and the fluid coupled to the compressor may be a ferrofluid. The compressor may include two containment regions containing ferrofluid on opposite sides of the heart, and a pair of compression portions coupled to the containment regions. The filled generator may be electromagnetic which includes two electromagnets having corresponding core portions and corresponding coils. The electromagnets may be disposed with their north and south poles in alignment and separated by a gap to allow relative movement. The electromagnets may be external or internal to the body.

Cardiac assist device using field controlled fluid

Growing community of inventors

New Brighton, MN, United States of America

Bruce Persson