Systems, catheters, drive units, and methods for automatic catheter identification

Abstract

A catheter for an ultrasound system can a marker disposed on the hub. The marker is optically or magnetically readable and, when read, identifies the catheter. A drive unit can include an optical or magnetic marker reader. Alternatively or additionally, a catheter may include an active memory arrangement that can be read by an appropriate reader on the drive unit.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A catheter for an ultrasound system, the catheter comprising:
 a catheter sheath defining a lumen;   a hub coupled to the catheter sheath and configured for attachment to a motor drive;   an elongated, rotatable driveshaft disposed within the lumen of the catheter sheath and extending into the hub, the driveshaft having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is configured and arranged for coupling to the motor drive for rotating the driveshaft;   an imaging device coupled to the distal end of the driveshaft with rotation of the driveshaft causing a corresponding rotation of the imaging device, the imaging device comprising at least one transducer configured and arranged for transforming applied electrical signals to acoustic signals and also for transforming received echo signals to electrical signals;   at least one conductor extending from the hub through the lumen of the catheter sheath and coupled to the imaging device for carrying the electrical signals; and   a marker disposed on the hub, wherein the marker is optically or magnetically readable and, when read, identifies the catheter.   
     
     
         2 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker is optically readable. 
     
     
         3 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises a one- or two-dimensional code. 
     
     
         4 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises a barcode or QR code. 
     
     
         5 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker is magnetically readable. 
     
     
         6 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises a strip with information magnetically encoded thereon. 
     
     
         7 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker is printed onto the hub. 
     
     
         8 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker is disposed on a rotating portion of the hub. 
     
     
         9 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker, when read, identifies a type of the catheter. 
     
     
         10 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker, when read, identifies a serial number of the catheter. 
     
     
         11 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker, when read, identifies an expiration date of the catheter. 
     
     
         12 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the marker is disposed on non-curved surface of the hub. 
     
     
         13 . An ultrasound system, comprising:
 the catheter of  claim 1 ; and   a drive unit coupleable to the catheter, the drive unit comprising:
 a drive hub configured for attachment to the hub of the catheter; 
 a rotation mechanism configured for rotating the driveshaft of the catheter; and 
 a marker reader configured to optically or magnetically read the marker on the catheter to identify the catheter. 
   
     
     
         14 . The ultrasound system of  claim 13 , further comprising
 a processor coupleable to the drive unit and configured for identifying the catheter from the marker when read by the marker reader.   
     
     
         15 . The ultrasound system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured for altering or setting one or more settings of the ultrasound system in response to the identification of the catheter. 
     
     
         16 . A drive unit for an ultrasound system, the drive unit comprising:
 a drive hub configured for attachment to a catheter;   a rotation mechanism configured for rotating a driveshaft of the catheter; and   a reader configured to optically or magnetically read a marker on the catheter to identify the catheter.   
     
     
         17 . The drive unit of  claim 16 , wherein the reader is an optical reader. 
     
     
         18 . The drive unit of  claim 16 , wherein the reader is a magnetic reader. 
     
     
         19 . A catheter for an ultrasound system, the catheter comprising:
 a catheter sheath defining a lumen;   a hub coupled to the catheter sheath and configured for attachment to a motor drive;   an elongated, rotatable driveshaft disposed within the lumen of the catheter sheath and extending into the hub, the driveshaft having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is configured and arranged for coupling to the motor drive for rotating the driveshaft;   an imaging device coupled to the distal end of the driveshaft with rotation of the driveshaft causing a corresponding rotation of the imaging device, the imaging device comprising at least one transducer configured and arranged for transforming applied electrical signals to acoustic signals and also for transforming received echo signals to electrical signals;   at least one conductor extending from the hub through the lumen of the catheter sheath and coupled to the imaging device for carrying the electrical signals; and   an active memory arrangement disposed on the hub, wherein the active memory arrangement is configured for transferring information using a single conductor and is configured to store information that identifies the catheter.   
     
     
         20 . An ultrasound system, comprising:
 the catheter of  claim 19 ; and   a drive unit coupleable to the catheter, the drive unit comprising:
 a drive hub configured for attachment to the hub of the catheter; 
 a rotation mechanism configured for rotating the driveshaft of the catheter; and 
 a reader configured to obtain the information from the active memory arrangement on the catheter to identify the catheter.