Intravascular imaging guidewire

Abstract

An intravascular imaging guidewire which can accomplish longitudinal translation of an imaging plane allowing imaging, by acoustic or light energy, of an axial length of a region of interest without moving the guidewire. The imaging guidewire comprises a body in the form of a flexible elongate tubular member. An elongate flexible imaging core is slidably received within the body. The imaging core includes a shaft having an imaging device mounted on its distal end. The body and the imaging core are cooperatively constructed to enable axial translation of the imaging core and imaging device relative to the body. The body has a transparent distal portion extending an axial length over which axially translatable imaging may be performed. The imaging guidewire has a maximum diameter over its entire length sized to be received within a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An imaging guidewire for imaging an internal body structure with acoustic or light energy, the imaging guidewire comprising: 
 a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to said acoustic or light energy;    a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging device adapted to receive said acoustic or light energy related to said internal body structure and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor;    the imaging guidewire having a maximum diameter along its entire length not exceeding that which can effectively receive a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter;    wherein said imaging core is axially translatable relative to said body to enable axial translation of said imaging device; and    a connector on the proximal end of the shaft adapted to provide only a mechanical connection to a mating connector on a drive unit.    
     
     
         2 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein said maximum diameter of the imaging guidewire is 0.035″.  
     
     
         3 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 1  further comprising a connector attached to a proximal end of said shaft, said connector being detachably connectable with a mating connector to operatively connect the imaging device to the imaging signal processor.  
     
     
         4 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 2  wherein said imaging core is rotatable within said body, said shaft is a drive shaft for rotating said imaging device and said connector is detachably connectable with a mating connector to engage a drive unit to rotate said drive shaft.  
     
     
         5 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 4  wherein said imaging device comprises an ultrasound transducer arranged to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy to and from the internal body structure.  
     
     
         6 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein said body comprises a proximal body portion having a proximal end extending from the proximal end of said body and a distal end attached to said substantially transparent portion of said body.  
     
     
         7 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 6  further comprising a stiffening tube disposed between said body and said shaft, said stiffening tube extending from said proximal end of the guidewire to the proximal end of said transparent portion of said body.  
     
     
         8 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 6  wherein said proximal body portion is formed of a NITINOL tube.  
     
     
         9 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 6  further comprising a transition means between said proximal body portion and said substantially transparent portion of said body.  
     
     
         10 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein said shaft comprises a proximal telescope portion having a distal end connected to a drive cable formed of counter-wound, multi-filar coils.  
     
     
         11 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 6  wherein said shaft comprises a proximal telescope portion having a distal end connected to a drive cable formed of counter-wound, multi-filar coils.  
     
     
         12 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 8  wherein said shaft comprises a proximal telescope portion having a distal end connected to a drive cable formed of counter-wound, multi-filar coils.  
     
     
         13 . The image guidewire of  claim 9  wherein said transition means comprises a transition tube having a bending stiffness between that of the proximal body portion and the substantially transparent portion of said body.  
     
     
         14 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 13  wherein further comprising a plastic jacket covering substantially the entire length of said body.  
     
     
         15 . The image guidewire of  claim 9  wherein said transition means is formed by constructing a distal portion of said proximal body portion in a spiral form, said spiral form having increasing pitch as it extends distally.  
     
     
         16 . The image guidewire of  claim 9  wherein said transition means is formed by constructing a distal portion of said proximal body portion in tapered finger shape.  
     
     
         17 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 2  further comprising a connector attached to a proximal end of said shaft, said connector being detachably connectable with a mating connector to operatively connect the imaging device to the imaging signal processor while simultaneously engaging a drive unit to rotate said shaft and wherein said imaging core is rotatable within said body, said shaft is a drive shaft for rotating said imaging device and said connector is detachably connectable with a mating connector to engage a drive unit to rotate said drive shaft.  
     
     
         18 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 4  wherein said imaging device transmits and receives light energy to and from the internal body structure.  
     
     
         19 . An imaging guidewire for imaging an internal body structure with acoustic or light energy, the imaging guidewire comprising: 
 a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to said acoustic or light energy;    a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging device adapted to receive said acoustic or light energy related to said internal body structure and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor; and    a connector having a distal component including a conductive ring through which a coaxial cable having an inner lead and an outer lead separated by a first insulator is inserted and said conductive ring filled with a first portion of conductive epoxy to electrically connect the outer lead to the conductive ring;    the connector also having a proximal component including a second conductor having stepped tubular section and a ball-shaped end having a cavity, an insulator covering said stepped tubular section, the inner lead and insulation extending through said tubular section and into said cavity, and said cavity filled with a second portion of conductive epoxy to electrically connect said inner lead to said second conductor, said proximal component inserted into said conductive ring by inserting said stepped tubular section covered with said insulator into said conductive ring.    
     
     
         20 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 19  wherein said imaging device comprises an ultrasound transducer arranged to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy to and from the internal body structure.  
     
     
         21 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 19  wherein said imaging device transmits and receives light energy to and from the internal body structure.  
     
     
         22 . A method for diagnosis and treatment of an internal body structure by using acoustic or light energy, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an imaging guidewire including; 
 a body in the form of an elongate flexible tubular member, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said body being at least substantially transparent to said acoustic or light energy;  
 a flexible elongate imaging core slidably received within said body, said imaging core having a shaft and an imaging device mounted on a distal end of said shaft and arranged to position said imaging device in axial relation to said substantially transparent portion of said body, said imaging device adapted to receive said acoustic or light energy related to said internal body structure and to transmit imaging signals to an imaging signal processor;  
 the imaging guidewire having a maximum diameter along its entire length not exceeding that which can effectively receive a guidewire lumen of an intravascular catheter;  
 wherein said imaging core is axially translatable relative to said body to enable axial translation of said imaging device;  
 providing a connector attached to a proximal end of said shaft, said connector providing only a mechanical connection with a mating connector of a drive unit;  
 introducing said imaging guidewire into a vessel of a vascular system and routing said imaging guidewire to the internal body structure;  
 producing images of said internal body structure using said imaging device; and  
 axially translating said imaging core relative to said body to image a length of the internal body structure.  
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising the step of routing a catheter having a guidewire lumen over the imaging guidewire and advancing the catheter to said internal body structure.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said imaging device comprises an ultrasound transducer arranged to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy to and from the internal body structure.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said imaging device transmits and receives light energy to and from the internal body structure.  
     
     
         26  the imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein said imaging device core being adapted to transmit said high quality imaging signals by inductive coupling to said imaging signal processor.  
     
     
         27  the imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein said imaging device being adapted to transmit said high quality imaging signals by capacitative coupling to said imaging signal processor.  
     
     
         28 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said imaging signal processor being located in said drive unit.  
     
     
         29 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 1  wherein said imaging signal processor does not rotate and said imaging core transmits said high quality imaging signals from the rotating imaging core to the non-rotating imaging signal processor.  
     
     
         30 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 19  wherein said conductive ring is filled with said first conductive material to electrically connect the outer lead to the conductive ring.  
     
     
         31 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 19  wherein said first conductive material includes a conductive epoxy.  
     
     
         32 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 19  wherein said second conductive material includes a conductive epoxy.  
     
     
         33 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 19  wherein said second conductor further includes a cavity, said inner lead extending through said tubular section and into said cavity, and said cavity being filled by said second conductive material to electrically connect said inner lead to said second conductor.  
     
     
         34 . The imaging guidewire of  claim 30  wherein said second conductor further includes a cavity, said inner lead extending through said tubular section and into said cavity, and said cavity being filled by said second conductive material to electrically connect said inner lead to said second conductor.