EP0723786A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Lesion measurement catheter and method
Assignee: Medtronic AneuRx Inc
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Filing: 1996-01-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-01-20
Abstract
Abstract The invention provides methods and apparatus for determining physiological characteristics of body lumens, such as the length of a blood vessel. According to one exemplary method, the distance between a first target location and a second target location within a lumen are measured by aligning a first marker (18) on a first elongate member (12) disposed within a lumen with the first target location. A second marker (26) on a second elongate member (20) disposed within the lumen is aligned with the second target location. The distance between the first and second markers (18,26) is then measured, and the measured distance corresponds to the distance between the first and second target locations.
Inventors
- 👤 Jay A. Lenker
- 👤 Rodney A. White
- 👤 Richard Murphy
- 👤 Steve Kim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:02
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/02; A61B5/02007; A61B5/02014; A61B5/103; A61B5/107; A61B5/1076; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/95; A61F2/958; A61M; A61M25/00; A61B90/00; A61B90/06; A61B2090/061; A61B90/39; A61F2/02; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61F2/07; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0058; A61F2250/0096; A61F2250/0098; A61M2025/0008
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for measuring the distance between a first target location and a second target location within a lumen, said method comprising aligning a first marker (18) on a first elongate member (12) disposed within the lumen with the first target location; aligning a second marker (26) on a second elongate member (20) disposed within the lumen with the second target location; and measuring the distance between the first and second markers (18, 26), which measured distance corresponds to the distance between the first and second target locations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein the lumen is non-linear, and wherein the distance between the first and second markers (18, 26) is measured substantially along a center line of the lumen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the lumen is a blood vessel lumen and the first and second target locations correspond to the ends of a lesion to determine the length of the lesion.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as in anyone of the claims 1 to 3, wherein aligning each marker (18, 26) comprises manually translating the elongate members (12, 20) carrying the markers within the lumen.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
51 words
A method as in anyone of the claims 1 to 4, further comprising fluoroscopically imaging the lumen, wherein the first and second markers (18, 26) are radiopaque and aligning said markers (18, 26) comprises visual alignment of the fluoroscopic images of each marker (18, 26) with one end of the lesion.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
53 words
A method as in anyone of the claims 1 to 4, further comprising intraluminal ultrasonic imaging of the lumen, wherein the first and second markers (18, 26) are ultrasonically opaque and aligning said markers (18, 26) comprises alignment of the ultrasonic images of each marker (18, 26) with one end of the lesion.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
43 words
A method as in anyone of the claims 1 to 6, wherein measuring the distance between the first and second markers (18, 26) comprises visually observing calibration marks (30) on one member (20) relative to a reference location on the other member (12).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as in claim 7, wherein the calibration marks (30) are observed while the members remain disposed in the lumen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as in claim 7, wherein the calibration marks (30) are observed after the members are withdrawn from the lumen.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
47 words
A method as in anyone of the claims 1 to 9, further comprising locking together the elongate members (12, 20) after aligning their respective markers (18, 26) and withdrawing the members (12, 20) from the body lumen prior to measuring the distance between the markers (18, 26).
Claim 11
Independent Claim
36 words
A method as in anyone of the claims 1 to 10, further comprising selecting the length of a vascular graft or stent so that it is sufficiently long to extend over the length of the lesion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
103 words
A luminal lesion measurement catheter comprising: a first elongate member (12) having a proximal end, a distal end, and a radiopaque marker (18) near the distal end; and a second elongate member (20) slidably received relative to the first member (12) and having a proximal end, a distal end, and a radiopaque marker (26) near the distal end, wherein the second member (20) has a length greater than that of the first member (12) and axially spaced-apart calibration marks (30) which permit direct visual reading of the axial distance between the radiopaque markers (18, 26) on the first and second members (12, 20).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A catheter as in claim 12, wherein the first member (12) is a tubular sleeve having a central passage wherein the length of the tubular sleeve is in the range from 40 cm to 200 cm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
A catheter as in claim 12 or 13, wherein the second member (20) is a tubular body having a central guidewire lumen and a length in the range from 41 cm to 220 cm, wherein said calibration marks (30) are visible on the outside surface of the tubular body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
A catheter as in anyone of the claims 12 to 14, wherein the calibration marks (30) are of the distal end of the tubular body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A catheter as in anyone of the claims 12 to 14, wherein the calibration marks (30) are of the proximal end of the tubular body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A catheter as in anyone of the claims 12 to 16, further comprising a sealing valve (32) at the proximal end of the tubular sleeve.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
A catheter as in anyone of the claims 12 to 17, further comprising a third elongate member (50) slidably received relative to the first and second members (12, 20) and having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central lumen for receiving the first and second members (12, 20).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
A catheter as in claim 18, further comprising at least one balloon (44, 53) on said third elongate member (50) for centering said third member (50) within a blood vessel lumen.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
52 words
A catheter as in claim 19, wherein the balloon (44, 53) is attached to the distal end of said third member (50) and near the distal end of said second member (20), whereby inflation media can be introduced to the balloon (44, 53) through the central lumen of said third member (50).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A catheter as in anyone of the claims 18 to 20, wherein the third member (50) is radially expandable near its distal end for centering said third member (50) within a blood vessel lumen.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
58 words
A luminal lesion measurement catheter comprising: an elongate catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen; a balloon (44, 53) around the catheter body and near the distal end; and a plurality of spaced-apart concentric markers (78) around the periphery of the balloon (44, 53), the markers (78) being radio or fluoroscopically opaque.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A catheter as in claim 22, wherein the markers (78) are equally spaced-apart on the balloon (44, 53) and have a constant width.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
A catheter as in claim 22 or 23, wherein the markers (78) are constructed of gold.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
A catheter as in claim 22 or 23, wherein the markers (78) are constructed of barium sulfate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
A catheter as in anyone of the claims 22 to 25, wherein the balloon (44, 53) is constructed of an elastic or an inelastic material.
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