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. 16, 2017
Filed:
Oct. 11, 2013
Muffin Incorporated, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Neal E. Fearnot, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Peter S. McKinnis, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Sarah Robbins, Lafayette, IN (US);
Yun Zhou, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Muffin Incorporated, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Abstract
There are disclosed embodiments of devices and methods for imaging the inside of a body part, particularly a blood vessel. In particular embodiments, a catheter has a tip chamber, within which is an ultrasound transducer mounted on a pivot mechanism, a motor for turning the transducer, and an implement for pivoting the transducer. Examples of such an implement are a linear motor, a shaft or filament, and the pivot mechanism may be biased to return to a base position when the implement is not pivoting the transducer. In other embodiments, a mirror reflecting ultrasound signals from the transducer may be rotated and/or pivoted, using similar mechanisms.