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:
Aug. 16, 2011
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2003
Paul Craig Haldeman, Murrieta, CA (US);
Rodney Salo, Fridley, MN (US);
Bruce Tockman, Scandia, MN (US);
Gerrard Merrill Carlson, Champlin, MN (US);
Paul Craig Haldeman, Murrieta, CA (US);
Rodney Salo, Fridley, MN (US);
Bruce Tockman, Scandia, MN (US);
Gerrard Merrill Carlson, Champlin, MN (US);
Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A guiding catheter for use in medical procedures includes a flexible shaft with one or more audio transducers and a distal tip. An audio signal may be sent to one or more of the transducers and a reflected signal is received at one or more transducers. The reflected signal is used to detect the presence of an anatomical structure to assist in navigating the catheter to its destination. In another arrangement, the transducer can be used passively to detect physical characteristics of the heart such as sound, subsonic energy or temperature, that indicate relative proximity of a destination vessel.