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:
Mar. 08, 1994
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1992
Michael H Slayton, Tempe, AZ (US);
Acoustic Imaging Technologies Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Abstract
An endo-luminal ultrasonic instrument has a motor with a rotatable drive shaft that oscillates back and forth. A flexible catheter sheath is coupled at one end to the motor to oscillate with the drive shaft. The sheath has an axis about which it oscillates and a diameter sized to fit inside a human blood vessel or other body lumen. An ultrasonic transducer is attached to the other end of the sheath to oscillate therewith. The transducer has an array of individually operable elements arranged parallel to the axis to form a rotatable beam perpendicular to the axis. Electronics near the motor operates the transducer elements. Wiring, passing through the catheter sheath connects electrically the transducer elements and the electronics. The electronics includes electronic beam focusing to enhance the axial resolution of the instrument.