Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Embolx, Inc.

Heart Rhythm Technologies, Inc.

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation

Boston Scientific Corporation

Peter Thornton, Jr

Donald Masters

E Scott Harshman

Stuart L Carp

Lewis J Thomas

John Douglas Marshall

Miriam H Taimisto

Tracy D Maahs

Richard O Murphy

Richard S Lilly

Timothy J Wood

Roger W McGowan

Robert C Hayzelden

Christopher Smuk

Jobert P Balceta

Gaylin Mildred Yee

Misha Young

Alfonso D'Alessandro

Derrik Zimmerman

Joe Carioggia

Corey Higham

Isaac J Zacharias

Ravi Kurse

Marc Stepkowski

Dushyant Shah

Issac J Zacharias

A catheter assembly for an ultrasound system can include an integrated pullback arrangement. For example, the catheter assembly can include a telescoping pullback section having a first telescope, a second telescope, a distal grip coupling one of the first or second telescope to the distal sheath of the distal section, and a proximal grip coupled to another of the first or second telescope so that the first telescope can be retracted into the second telescope and a sensor to determine a position of the first telescope. Another example includes the sensor and a pullback slider arrangement having a housing defining a slit, a coupler disposed within the housing, and a slider handle extending through the slit and coupled to the coupler. In another example, the coupler and housing can be gripped and slid relative to each other.

Intravascular ultrasound systems, catheters, and methods with a manual pullback arrangement

An adaptor for adjusting electrical signals propagated along an electrically-conductive path between a drive unit and a catheter of an intravascular ultrasound imaging system includes a catheter connector disposed along a first end of a housing and configured to receive the catheter. A drive-unit connector is disposed along a second end of the housing and is configured to couple the adaptor to the drive unit. A catheter-conductor interface electrically-couples to a transducer conductor of the catheter. A drive-unit-conductor interface electrically-couples to an electrical conductor of the drive unit. An adaptor conductor electrically-couples the catheter-conductor interface to the drive-unit-conductor interface. A tuning element is electrically-coupled to the adaptor conductor and is configured to adjust electrical signals propagating along the adaptor conductor based, at least in part, on an operational frequency of a transducer disposed in the catheter.

Systems and methods for making frequency-based adjustments to signal paths along intravascular ultrasound imaging systems

Medical devices including optical connector cable assemblies are disclosed. An optical connector cable assembly may include an optical connector cable having a first optical fiber extending therefrom. The optical connector cable may include a distal connector configured to connect to a guidewire. The distal connector may include an inner housing and a guidewire locking mechanism. The distal connector may also include an actuator. Actuation of the actuator may move the inner housing from a first position to a second position. When the inner housing is in the first position the guidewire locking mechanism is configured to secure the guidewire and the guidewire is rotatable with respect to the optical connector cable. When the inner housing is in the second position the guidewire locking mechanism is in an open state for receiving or removing the guidewire.

Pressure sensing guidewire systems including an optical connector cable

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a system for measuring blood pressure. The system may include a pressure sensing guidewire including a pressure sensor and a first optical fiber extending proximally from the pressure sensor. The system may also include an optical connector cable including a distal connector capable of being coupled to the guidewire. The optical connector cable may include a second optical fiber that is capable of optically communicating with the first optical fiber. A coupler may be disposed within the distal connector and disposed between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber.

An example medical device system includes a reusable connector cable having a female adaptor and a first fiber optic cable disposed within the reusable connector cable. A single use device is capable of connecting to the reusable connector cable and includes a male adaptor capable of mating with the female adaptor. A second fiber optic cable extends through the single use device such that the second fiber optic cable optically connects to the first fiber optic cable when the male adaptor of the single use device is disposed within the female adaptor of the reusable connector cable. A cleaning assembly is disposed within the single use device and is capable of cleaning an end of the first fiber optic cable when the male adaptor of the single use device is mated with the female adaptor of the reusable connector cable.

Self-cleaning optical connector

An atherectomy device and method has cannula systems having lumens adapted for insertion of a blood filter and an atherectomy catheter useful for performing atherectomy directly on a patient's cardiovascular tissue. Other embodiments include a lumen for arterial perfusion useful in providing oxygenated blood to the aorta during cardiopulmonary bypass. The distal end of the atherectomy catheter includes an assembly that has a pincer, a loop with or without a mesh, laser, hydraulics, or other suitable mechanism adapted for removing atheroma from a cardiac or vascular tissue. Methods of using the systems for vascular atherectomy are also disclosed herein.

Direct access atherectomy devices and methods of use

Described herein are rotary transformers for coupling signals between components that rotate relative to one another. In an exemplary embodiment, a rotary transformer comprises a rotary shaft, a first magnetic core on the rotary shaft, and a first winding wound around the first magnetic core. The rotary transformer farther comprises a hollow second magnetic core, and a second winding wound along the inner wall of the second magnetic core. During operation, the first winding on the rotary shaft rotates within the second winding with the magnetic cores magnetically coupling signals between the two windings. Also, the first and second windings are closely spaced to provide capacitive coupling between the windings that extends the frequency response of the transformer. In one embodiment, the windings comprises substantially flat conductors wound in the shape of the windings. In another embodiment, each of the windings comprises circular loops connected by jogs.

Rotary transformer

An electrical connector is described. In one implementation, the connector includes a female portion including one or more electrical contacts and a male portion including one or more electrical contacts. The female portion and the male portion each have a self-orientating geometry that allows the male portion to be mated with the female portion in any rotational position along 360 degrees of rotation. When mated, the electrical contacts of the female portion mate with corresponding one or more electrical contacts of the male portion to form one or more electrical connections between two electronic components.

Electrical connector

An atherectomy device has cannula systems having lumens adapted for insertion of a blood filter and an atherectomy catheter useful for performing atherectomy directly on a patient's cardiovascular tissue. Other embodiments include a lumen for arterial perfusion useful in providing oxygenated blood to the aorta during cardiopulmonary bypass. The distal end of the atherectomy catheter includes an assembly that has a pincer, a loop with or without a mesh, laser, hydraulics, or other suitable mechanism adapted for removing atheroma from a cardiac or vascular tissue. Methods of using the systems for vascular atherectomy are also disclosed herein.

Described herein are rotary transformers for coupling signals between components that rotate relative to one another. In an exemplary embodiment, a rotary transformer comprises a rotary shaft, a first magnetic core on the rotary shaft, and a first winding wound around the first magnetic core. The rotary transformer further comprises a hollow second magnetic core, and a second winding wound along the inner wall of the second magnetic core. During operation, the first winding on the rotary shaft rotates within the second winding with the magnetic cores magnetically coupling signals between the two windings. Also, the first and second windings are closely spaced to provide capacitive coupling between the windings that extends the frequency response of the transformer. In one embodiment, the windings comprises substantially flat conductors wound in the shape of the windings. In another embodiment, each of the windings comprises circular loops connected by jogs.

Described herein are imaging catheter system. In an exemplary embodiment, a catheter comprises a handle assembly having distal and proximal ends, a catheter sheath connected to the distal end of the handle assembly, and an elongated flexible tube connected to the proximal end of the handle assembly. The catheter further comprises an imaging core slidably received within the catheter sheath, the handle assembly and the elongated tube. The imaging core also includes a slide member, e.g., knob, extending from the imaging core and passing through an elongated slot in the handle assembly, allowing a physician to manually pullback and advance the imaging core within the catheter by sliding the slide member back and forth. Preferably, the elongated tube is long enough so that the motor drive coupled to the proximal end of the catheter is kept outside the sterile field during the imaging procedure.

Imaging catheter

The present invention provides self-aligning rotational connectors. In an non-limiting embodiment, a catheter system comprises a catheter connectable to a drive unit. The catheter includes a rotator, and at least one orientating feature extending proximally from the rotator, and configured to be inserted into an orienting slot of a shaft connector of the drive unit. When the orienting feature is inserted into the slot of the shaft connector, the slot transmits torque from the shaft connector to the orientating feature, and therefore the rotator of the catheter. Electrical contacts are provided on the rotator and the shaft connector, wherein the contacts of the rotator are properly aligned with and engage the contacts of the shaft connector. Further, the shaft connector has a slopping surface that slops downward into the slot for automatically aligning the rotator rotationally with the shaft connector during insertion of the catheter into the drive unit.

Self-aligning IVUS catheter rotational core connector

An atherectomy device containing cannula systems having lumens adapted for insertion of a blood filter and an atherectomy catheter useful for performing atherectomy directly on a patient's cardiovascular tissue. Other embodiments include a lumen for arterial perfusion useful in providing oxygenated blood to the aorta during cardiopulmonary bypass. The distal end of the atherectomy catheter includes an assembly with a pincer, a loop with or without a mesh, laser, hydraulics, or other suitable mechanism adapted for removing atheroma from a cardiac or vascular tissue. Methods of using the systems for vascular atherectomy are also disclosed herein.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Peter Thornton, Jr