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:
Sep. 17, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 05, 2000
W. Scott Andrus, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Jaydeep Y. Kokate, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Bruce Persson, New Brighton, MN (US);
Eric DoBrava, Crystal, MN (US);
Scimed Life Systems, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US);
Abstract
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.