US 12,408,900 B2
Systems and methods for real-time biopsy needle and target tissue visualization
Austin G. Johnson, Hudson, MA (US); and Sean Fleury, Minneapolis, MA (US)
Assigned to Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed by Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed on Jul. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/935,795.
Application 16/935,795 is a continuation of application No. 15/833,381, filed on Dec. 6, 2017, granted, now 10,765,410.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/430,987, filed on Dec. 7, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0345334 A1, Nov. 5, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 10/02 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/12 (2006.01); A61B 10/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 10/0275 (2013.01) [A61B 8/0841 (2013.01); A61B 8/12 (2013.01); A61B 8/483 (2013.01); A61B 10/0283 (2013.01); A61B 10/04 (2013.01); A61B 8/085 (2013.01); A61B 2010/0208 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3413 (2013.01); A61B 2090/378 (2016.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
an ultrasound probe comprising an ultrasound transducer disposed at a distal end of the ultrasound probe;
a tissue sampling element;
an elongate member comprising:
a first lumen extending along a longitudinal axis of the elongate member, the first lumen configured to receive the tissue sampling element,
a sheath comprising a first portion having a first flexibility and a second portion distal to the first portion, wherein the second portion has a second flexibility greater than the first flexibility, and
a second lumen extending along the longitudinal axis of the elongate member through the first portion and the second portion of the sheath, the second lumen configured to receive the ultrasound probe; and
a strip of hyperechoic material disposed in the second portion and oriented along the longitudinal axis of the elongate member,
wherein the first portion of the sheath is configured to cooperate with the second portion of the sheath to maintain the first lumen and the second lumen in a fixed radial position relative to each other to maintain the tissue sampling element and the ultrasound probe in a fixed radial position relative to each other,
wherein the strip of hyperechoic material is disposed at a point on a circumference of the sheath to indicate a position of the tissue sampling element in an image generated by the ultrasound transducer, and
wherein the point is offset radially from the first lumen and the tissue sampling element.