US 12,465,328 B2
Imaging catheter
David Barone, Lexington, MA (US); Kathleen DeRosa, Manchester, NH (US); and Sean P. Madden, Arlington, MA (US)
Assigned to INFRAREDX, INC., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by Infraredx, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/707,285.
Application 17/707,285 is a continuation of application No. 16/131,177, filed on Sep. 14, 2018, granted, now 11,284,860.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/558,913, filed on Sep. 15, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0218307 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/01 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/02 (2006.01); A61B 8/12 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61M 25/06 (2006.01); A61M 25/09 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/445 (2013.01) [A61B 1/01 (2013.01); A61B 5/0075 (2013.01); A61B 5/0084 (2013.01); A61B 5/0086 (2013.01); A61B 5/02007 (2013.01); A61B 5/6852 (2013.01); A61B 8/12 (2013.01); A61B 8/0891 (2013.01); A61B 2560/0223 (2013.01); A61M 25/0662 (2013.01); A61M 25/09 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging catheter comprising:
an elongate outer sheath made of a material that is transmissive of ultrasound energy, the outer sheath including a terminal section at a distal end of the outer sheath and a main section extending from a proximal end of the outer sheath to the terminal section;
a guidewire section extending distally from the distal end of the outer sheath and including a lumen configured to receive a guidewire;
a torque cable rotatably disposed in the outer sheath;
an imaging tip located at a distal end of the torque cable, the imaging tip including an ultrasound transducer; and
a sheath reinforcement disposed along only the terminal section of the outer sheath and configured to resist transverse bending of the terminal section of the outer sheath, whereby the terminal section of the outer sheath is reinforced, and wherein the torque cable is configured to position the imaging tip in the reinforced terminal section of the outer sheath.