Patent US5284148A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5284148A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe using fiber acoustic waveguides
Assignee: Agilent Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1992-07-22
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Granted: 1994-02-08
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Expires: 2012-07-22
Abstract
Abstract An intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe has a fiber acoustic waveguide that guides acoustic signals generated by a piezoelectric transducer located outside the body, through a body cavity and to an imaging site within the body where they reflect back into the ultrasound diagnostic probe that guides them back to the piezoelectric transducer located at the proximal end of the waveguide. The intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe has one or more acoustic waveguides that could be optical fibers. The numerous advantages of placing the piezoelectric transducer outside the body include: electric power does not enter the body; a reusable piezoelectric transducer; the ability to use several acoustic signals at once including a mixture of doppler and imaging acoustic signals; the ability to adjust the frequency of each acoustic signal independently of the other acoustic signals to obtain the most desirable focus and resolution for a particular imaging site; and lower cost of complying with sterility regulations since they require discarding only the inexpensive fiber acoustic waveguide and the inexpensive catheter-radome.
Inventors
- 👤 J. Fleming Dias
- 👤 Hewlett E. Melton, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:12
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; A61B8/12; A61B5/00; A61B5/145; A61B5/1455; A61B5/1459; A61B8/06; A61B8/08; A61B8/0833; A61B8/44; A61B8/4444; A61B8/4461; A61B8/48; A61B8/483; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/24; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B17/22004; A61B17/22012; A61B2017/22014; A61B2017/22015; A61B2017/22017; A61B34/00; A61B34/20; A61B2034/2046; A61B2034/2063; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3925; A61B8/445; A61B8/4483; A61B8/4488
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
An intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe, comprising: a. a means for guiding an emitted imaging acoustic signal from outside a body through a body cavity to an imaging site within the body and for guiding a reflected imaging acoustic signal from the imaging site through the body cavity to outside the body, the means for guiding has a proximal end that stays outside a body and a distal end that goes into the body; b. a means for rotating the means for guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal; and c. a catheter covering a portion of the means for guiding that goes inside the body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
An intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe, comprising: a. a means for guiding an emitted imaging acoustic signal from outside a body through a body cavity to an imaging site within the body and for guiding a reflected imaging acoustic signal from the imaging site through the body cavity to outside the body, the means for guiding has a proximal end that stays outside a body and a distal end that goes into the body; b. a means for rotating the means for guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal; and c. a catheter covering a portion of the means for guiding that goes inside the body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein the means for rotating the means for guiding an acoustic signal is a motor located outside the body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising a means for increasing a torsional strength of the means for guiding an acoustic signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising a means for aiming the acoustic signal at a wall of the body cavity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising a means for transferring the acoustic signal from the guiding means to the imaging site with minimal loss of acoustic energy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus, as in claim 5, wherein the means for transferring, further comprises an acoustic window.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus, as in claim 6, further comprising a means for encoding the position of the means for guiding.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus, as in claim 6, further comprising a lens inside the acoustic window.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein the means for guiding is an acoustic fiber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus, as in claim 9, further comprising a means for matching an acoustic impedance of the acoustic fiber with an acoustic impedance of a fluid located near a distal end port of the acoustic fiber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus, as in claim 9, further comprising a wire wrapped around the acoustic fiber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus, as in claim 9, further comprising an acoustic lens attached to a distal end port of an acoustic fiber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus, as in claim 9, further comprising a bend in the acoustic fiber at the distal end that aims the acoustic signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus, as in claim 9, wherein the acoustic fiber has a bevelled distal end port that aims the acoustic signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus, as in claim 9, wherein an acoustic reflector located in a path of the acoustic signal aims the acoustic signal.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
19 words
An apparatus, as in claim in the acoustic fiber is a cladded-core fiber having a cladding around a core.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus, as in claim 16, wherein the acoustic fiber is a cladded-core fiber having a solid cladding around a solid core.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus, as in claim 16, wherein the cladding is solid and the core is liquid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus, as in claim 16, further comprising a section of exposed core.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein the means for guiding an acoustic signal is a plurality of acoustic fibers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising a wire wrapped around the plurality of acoustic fibers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
103 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising a center acoustic fiber, located on an axis of rotation of the plurality of acoustic fibers, that guides an emitted doppler acoustic signals to the imaging site and that guides a reflected doppler signal from the imaging site and at least one surrounding acoustic fiber, located adjacent to the center acoustic fiber, each surrounding acoustic fiber guides an emitted imaging acoustic signal to the imaging site and guides the reflected imaging acoustic signal from the imaging site, each surrounding acoustic fiber has a means to aim the emitted imaging acoustic signal at the imaging site.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising at least two acoustic fibers, where each fiber guides an emitted imaging acoustic signal having a different frequency into approximately a same plane, the same plane is positioned normal to an axis of rotation of the acoustic fibers.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising at least two acoustic fibers, all fibers have a means for aiming the emitted imaging acoustic signal into adjacent planes that are positioned normal to an axis of rotation of the acoustic fibers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising a look-ahead acoustic fiber, a look-to-the-side acoustic fiber, and a look-behind acoustic fiber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising at least two acoustic fibers that aim the acoustic signal at a particular location in the imaging site.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus, as in claim 20, further comprising at least two acoustic fibers that aim the acoustic signal at a imaging site.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
159 words
An intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe, comprising: a. a means for guiding an emitted imaging acoustic signal from outside a body, through a body cavity, to an imaging site within the body, the means has a proximal end that stays outside the body and a distal end that goes into the body; b. a means for guiding a reflected imaging acoustic signal from the imaging site, through the body cavity, to outside the body, the guiding means has a second proximal end that stays outside the body and a second distal end for entering the body; c. a means for rotating the means for guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal and the means for guiding the reflected imaging acoustic signal; and d. a catheter covering a portion of the means for guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal that goes inside the body and a portion of the means for guiding the reflected imaging acoustic signal that goes inside the body.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
159 words
An intracavity ultrasound diagnostic probe, comprising: a. a means for guiding an emitted imaging acoustic signal from outside a body, through a body cavity, to an imaging site within the body, the means has a proximal end that stays outside the body and a distal end that goes into the body; b. a means for guiding a reflected imaging acoustic signal from the imaging site, through the body cavity, to outside the body, the guiding means has a second proximal end that stays outside the body and a second distal end for entering the body; c. a means for rotating the means for guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal and the means for guiding the reflected imaging acoustic signal; and d. a catheter covering a portion of the means for guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal that goes inside the body and a portion of the means for guiding the reflected imaging acoustic signal that goes inside the body.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus, as in claim 28, further comprising: e. a means for transferring the emitted acoustic signal from the guiding means to the imaging site and for transferring the reflected acoustic signal from the imaging site to the guiding means with minimal loss of acoustic energy.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasound diagnostic probe, as in claim 28, further comprising: f. a means for increasing a torsional strength of the means for guiding.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
An ultrasound diagnostic probe, as in claim 28, further comprising: g. a means for aiming the emitting acoustic signal at a wall of the body cavity.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
42 words
An ultrasound diagnostic probe, as in claim 28, wherein: h. the means for guiding the emitted acoustic signal further comprises at least one acoustic fiber; and i. the means for guiding the reflected acoustic signal further comprises at least one acoustic fiber.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
An ultrasonic diagnostic probe, as in claim 32, wherein the acoustic fibers are cladded core fibers.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasonic diagnostic probe, as in claim 33, wherein the acoustic fibers are cladded-core fibers with a solid cladding around a solid core.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasonic diagnostic probe, as in claim 33, wherein the acoustic fibers are cladded-core fibers with a solid cladding and a liquid core.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
32 words
An ultrasonic diagnostic probe, as in claim 32, wherein: the means for guiding the emitted acoustic signal and the means for guiding the reflected acoustic signal are combined into each acoustic fiber.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
78 words
A method, comprising: a. generating an emitted imaging acoustic signal outside a body; b. guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal into and through a body cavity to an imaging site that the emitted imaging acoustic signal echoes from to form a reflected imaging acoustic signal; c. guiding the reflected imaging acoustic signal formed at the imaging site through the body cavity to outside the body to an acoustic signal detector; and d. rotating the emitted imaging acoustic signal.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
78 words
A method, comprising: a. generating an emitted imaging acoustic signal outside a body; b. guiding the emitted imaging acoustic signal into and through a body cavity to an imaging site that the emitted imaging acoustic signal echoes from to form a reflected imaging acoustic signal; c. guiding the reflected imaging acoustic signal formed at the imaging site through the body cavity to outside the body to an acoustic signal detector; and d. rotating the emitted imaging acoustic signal.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method, as in claim 37, further comprising the steps of: e. aiming the emitted acoustic signal at a wall of the body cavity,
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method, as in claim 37, further comprising the steps of: f. rotating the emitted acoustic signal until the emitted acoustic signal is aimed up a branch blood vessel; and g. guiding the emitted acoustic signal down the branch blood vessel.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
99 words
A method, as in claim 39, further comprising the steps of: h. guiding a doppler acoustic signal from outside the body to a blood vessel; i. guiding a reflected doppler acoustic signal from the blood vessel to outside the body; j. aiming the emitted imaging acoustic signal at a wall of the blood vessel; k. slightly rotating the emitting imaging acoustic signal a small amount after guiding the reflected acoustic signal to outside the body; and l. repeating the steps of aiming and slightly rotating until the emitted acoustic signals have crossed an entire cross-section of the blood vessel.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-02-07 | 1997-08-09 | 1998-02-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-02-07 | 2001-08-09 | 2002-02-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-02-07 | 2005-08-09 | 2006-02-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |