Methods for generating luminal organ profiles using impedance

Abstract

Methods to generate luminal organ profiles using impedance. One embodiment of such a method comprises the steps of introducing an impedance device having at least two detection electrodes positioned in between at least two excitation electrodes into a treatment site of a luminal organ at a first position, measuring a first treatment site conductance at the first position using the impedance device and at least two injections of solutions having different conductivities, moving the impedance device to a second position in the luminal organ, measuring a second treatment site conductance at the second position using the impedance device and the at least two injections of solutions having different conductivities, calculating a first position cross-sectional area using the first treatment site conductance and a second position cross-sectional area using the second treatment site conductance, and constructing a profile of the treatment site.

1 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 generating a profile of a luminal organ using two luminal organ parameters calculated using a first pair of conductance measurements obtained at a first luminal organ location, a second pair of conductance measurements obtained at a second luminal organ location, a conductivity of blood within the luminal organ, and a distance between electrodes of an impedance device, the first pair of conductance measurements and the second pair of conductance measurements each obtained in the presence of separate undiluted boluses of solutions having different conductivities within the luminal organ prior to ultimate dilution within the luminal organ.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the profile is further generated using a third luminal organ parameter calculated using a third pair of conductance measurements obtained at a third luminal organ location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a stenosis within the luminal organ from the profile.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of:
 implanting a stent within the luminal organ at the stenosis.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of:
 inflating a balloon within the luminal organ at the stenosis.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
 implanting a stent within the luminal organ at the stenosis.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance device comprises a balloon coupled thereto, and wherein the method further comprises inflation of the balloon within the luminal organ and obtaining a balloon conductance measurement within the balloon, the balloon conductance measurement used to determine a balloon dimensional measurement. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining a velocity of fluid flow within the luminal organ using the impedance device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the profile is further generated using additional luminal organ parameters calculated using additional conductance measurements obtained at additional luminal organ locations. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises determining a length of a stenosis present within the luminal organ from the profile. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the two luminal organ parameters are selected from the group consisting of two luminal organ cross-sectional areas, two luminal organ diameters, and two luminal organ radii. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a first conductance measurement and a second conductance measurement at a first location within a luminal organ using an impedance device, the first conductance measurement obtained in the presence of an undiluted bolus of and prior to ultimate dilution of a first solution within the luminal organ and the second conductance measurement obtained in the presence of an undiluted bolus of and prior to ultimate dilution of a second solution within the luminal organ;   moving the impedance device to a second location within the luminal organ;   obtaining a third conductance measurement and a fourth conductance measurement at the second location within a luminal organ using the impedance device, the third conductance measurement obtained in the presence of another undiluted bolus of and prior to ultimate dilution of the first solution within the luminal organ and the fourth conductance measurement obtained in the presence of another undiluted bolus of and prior to ultimate dilution of the second solution within the luminal organ;   calculating a first luminal organ parameter based upon the first conductance measurement and the second conductance measurement and calculating a second luminal organ parameter based upon the third conductance measurement and the fourth conductance measurement, each calculated parameter further based upon a conductivity of blood and a known distance between two electrodes of the detector; and   generating a profile using the first luminal organ parameter and the second luminal organ parameter.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the profile is further generated using a fifth conductance measurement and a sixth conductance measurement at a third location within a luminal organ using the impedance device, the fifth conductance measurement obtained in the presence of an additional undiluted bolus of and prior to ultimate dilution of the first solution within the luminal organ and the sixth conductance measurement obtained in the presence of an additional undiluted bolus of and prior to ultimate dilution of the second solution within the luminal organ. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a stenosis within the luminal organ from the profile.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 implanting a stent within the luminal organ at the stenosis.   
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 generating a profile of a luminal organ using at least three luminal organ parameters calculated using a first pair of conductance measurements obtained at a first luminal organ location, a second pair of conductance measurements obtained at a second luminal organ location, a third pair of conductance measurements obtained at a third luminal organ location, a conductivity of blood within the luminal organ, and a distance between electrodes of an impedance device, wherein the first pair of conductance measurements, the second pair of conductance measurements, and the third pair of conductance measurements are each obtained in the presence of separate undiluted boluses of solutions having different conductivities within the luminal organ prior to ultimate dilution within the luminal organ.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a stenosis within the luminal organ from the profile.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
 implanting a stent within the luminal organ at the stenosis.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
 inflating a balloon within the luminal organ at the stenosis.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 implanting a stent within the luminal organ at the stenosis.