Polymer encapsulated micro-thermocouple

Abstract

A catheter comprising a catheter sleeve and a micro-thermocouple adapted to move within the sleeve, wherein the micro-thermocouple includes a first insulated conductor, wherein the first conductor has a diameter ranging from around 0.00009 inches to 0.005 inches, a second insulated conductor, and a coupled region including a bare region of the first insulated conductor coupled to a bare region of the second insulated conductor and an electrically insulative cover.

1 . An catheter, comprising:
 a catheter sleeve; and   a micro-thermocouple adapted to move within the sleeve,   wherein the micro-thermocouple includes:
 a first insulated conductor, wherein the first conductor has a diameter ranging from around 0.00009 inches to 0.005 inches, 
 a second insulated conductor, and 
 a coupled region including a bare region of the first conductor coupled to a bare region of the second conductor and an electrically insulative cover. 
   
   
   
       2 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the second conductor has a diameter ranging from around 0.00009 inches to 0.005 inches 
   
   
       3 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the insulative cover includes a dome shape end for protecting the catheter sleeve when the micro-thermocouple moves within the sleeve. 
   
   
       4 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the insulative cover includes fluorinated ethylene propylene. 
   
   
       5 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the coupled region has a junction height and a junction width, and the insulative cover has a height less than 0.0005 inches greater than the junction height and width less than 0.0005 inches greater than the junction width. 
   
   
       6 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the thermocouple conductors are conductors of types selected from a set of A.S.T.M. types T, J, K, E, S, R, and B. 
   
   
       7 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the junction further comprises a fuse. 
   
   
       8 . The catheter of  claim 7 , wherein the fuse located between a proximal end of at least one of the thermocouple conductors and the thermocouple junction, such that exceeding an electrical rating of the fuse breaks an electrical connection between the proximal end of the conductor and the thermocouple junction. 
   
   
       9 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein solder couples the first and second thermocouple conductors along a length of the coupled region. 
   
   
       10 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the coupled region has a width ranging from around 0.005 inches to around 0.011 inches. 
   
   
       11 . The catheter of  claim 10 , wherein the coupled region has a height ranging from around 0.003 inches to around 0.01 inches. 
   
   
       12 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the insulative cover includes polyethylene terephthalate.