Echogenic devices, material and method

Abstract

Echogenic medical devices and methods of fabrication and of use are disclosed. The devices are adapted to be inserted into a patient. The device includes an elongated member including a material having an acoustic impedance different from that of the surrounding medium. The medium includes surrounding biological tissue or fluids surrounding the member when inserted into a passageway of the patient. The acoustic impedance of the elongated member is sufficiently different from the surrounding medium for enhancing an image produced in response to a sonic beam produced from imaging equipment. The elongated member also includes an interface including the outside surface of the member and a plurality of partially spherical indentations therein. Alternatively, generally spherical particles are attached to the surface of the member for producing the image in response to the sonic beam. Materials such as stainless steel, plastic, and glass are utilized in the manufacture of the medical device. The device may also include an echogenic body member including a composite material echogenically imageable in the patient. The composite material includes a matrix material with discrete sound reflective particles made from a material different from the matrix material and embedded therein. Several sound reflective particles are disclosed, one type of particle being a glass microsphere about 5 microns in diameter. The matrix material may be a plastic, and may be formed or extruded into devices such as catheters or other medical devices. The composite material may include different quantities of sound reflective particles by percent volume. Furthermore, a radiopaque material may be included in the composite material so the medical device is both ultrasonically imageable and radiographically imageable.