Intravascular ultrasound probes with wave-emitting device and reflector

摘要

An ultrasound catheter is described herein for insertion into a cavity such as a blood vessel to facilitate imaging within a vasculature. The catheter comprises an elongate flexible shaft, a capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer, and a sonic reflector. The elongate flexible shaft has a proximate end and a distal end. A capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) is mounted to the shaft near the distal end. The reflector is positioned such that a reflective surface redirects ultrasonic waves to and from the transducer. In other embodiments, the catheter comprises a plurality of cMUT elements and operates without the use of reflectors. In further embodiments, integrated circuitry is incorporated into the design.

主权项

1. An intravascular imaging device for insertion into vasculature, the intravascular imaging device comprising:
an elongate flexible shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a plurality of wave-emitting devices mounted on the shaft near the distal portion, wherein each of the plurality of wave-emitting devices comprises a capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) configured for intravascular imaging, wherein each of the wave-emitting devices comprises a proximal side and a distal side, and wherein both the proximal side and the distal side include a plurality of membranes symmetrically and circumferentially disposed around the shaft and in a ring configuration such that a face of each of the plurality of membranes is oriented to emit waves; and a plurality of reflectors mounted on the shaft adjacent to and separate from the plurality of wave-emitting devices in an alternating pattern such that each of the plurality of reflectors is movable relative to an adjacent wave-emitting device about a flex point of the shaft, each of the plurality of reflectors comprising a reflective surface and positioned such that the reflective surface redirects waves to and from the plurality of membranes of the adjacent wave-emitting device, wherein the shaft includes a plurality of flex points such that each reflective surface is separated from the adjacent wave-emitting device by one of the plurality of flex points and such that the shaft is flexible between successive wave-emitting devices.