US 11,723,518 B2
Direct visualization catheter and system
James M. Anderson, Corcoran, MN (US); Adam D. Grovender, Maple Grove, MN (US); Eric M. Petersen, Maple Grove, MN (US); David Raab, Roseville, MN (US); Mark S. Smith, Coon Rapids, MN (US); Cass A. Hanson, St. Paul, MN (US); and Timothy A. Ostroot, Cokato, MN (US)
Assigned to BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed by Boston Scientific Scimed inc., Maple Grove, MN (US); and Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Rochester, MN (US)
Filed on Oct. 24, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/169,752.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/577,159, filed on Oct. 25, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/577,163, filed on Oct. 25, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0117044 A1, Apr. 25, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/05 (2006.01); A61B 1/018 (2006.01); A61B 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/00082 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00183 (2013.01); A61B 1/05 (2013.01); A61B 1/051 (2013.01); A61B 1/018 (2013.01); A61B 1/06 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A direct visualization catheter comprising:
a handle;
a balloon;
an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the proximal end coupled to the handle, the distal end coupled to the balloon and defining a longitudinal axis; and
a camera assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft and disposed within the balloon, the camera assembly including:
a camera; and
an adjustment mechanism for varying a configuration of the camera relative to the distal end of the elongate shaft between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration, the camera facing primarily in a radial direction in the delivery configuration and the camera facing primarily in an axial direction in the deployed configuration;
wherein the adjustment mechanism includes:
a hinge coupling the camera to the distal end of the elongate shaft, the hinge configured to permit the camera to move relative to the distal end of the elongate shaft;
a biasing element configured to apply a first force about the hinge and arranged such that the camera is biased about the hinge in the delivery configuration to thereby bias a viewing direction of the camera radially inward toward the longitudinal axis.