APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND STABILIZING A CATHETER

摘要

A bearing catheter (20) for stabilizing and positioning a therapeutic/diagnostic catheter (100) at a predetermined location within a lumen (210). The bearing catheter (20) comprises a tube (22) sized to receive the therapeutic/diagnostic catheter (100) so that the latter is free to move axially and rotationally within the tube (22) while remaining substantially fixed radially with the tube (22). The bearing catheter tube (22) has a wall thickness selected so that, and is made from a material chosen so that, a laser beam of selected wavelength can be transmitted through the tube with little or no absorption of the laser energy so that the tube (22) will not be damaged and so that ultrasonic imaging signals may be transmitted and received through the tube (22).