The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 26, 1992
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1989
James M Griffith, Newport Beach, CA (US);
Paul J Zalesky, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
James M Gessert, Newport Beach, CA (US);
Viet P Dinh, Santa Ana, CA (US);
James D Passafaro, Santa Ana, CA (US);
InterTherapy, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA (US);
Abstract
An intravascular ultrasonic imaging probe includes a transducer subassembly adapted to being rotated within a guide catheter via a drive cable. The guide catheter establishes a bearing surface for supporting the transducer subassembly during rotation while also mechanically isolating the rotating transducer subassembly from surrounding tissue (thereby protecting the tissue from inadvertent and/or undesired tissue abrasion by the subassembly during rotation). The catheter is positioned within a vessel to be imaged by telescopically advancing the same over a previously positioned guide wire, the guide wire being withdrawn after the guide catheter is positioned. Thereafter, the imaging probe is inserted into the guide catheter and operated so as to obtain ultrasonic images of the vessel under investigation.