SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING AND USING A STEERABLE IMAGING SYSTEM CONFIGURED AND ARRANGED FOR INSERTION INTO A PATIENT

摘要

A medical imaging assembly includes a sheath with a lumen. An imaging core is disposed at one end of an imaging core shaft disposed in the lumen. The imaging core shaft bends along a shape memory region when the imaging core is extended from the lumen. The imaging core includes a transducer to image patient tissue, a mirror to redirect acoustic signals between the transducer and patient tissue, and a magnet to drive rotation of the mirror. The magnet is rotatable by a magnetic field generated at the location of the magnet. An imaging core shaft rotator rotates the imaging core shaft such that, when the imaging core is extended from the lumen, rotation of the imaging core shaft causes radial rotation of the imaging core about the sheath. The imaging core shaft rotator includes rotatable imaging core shaft magnets fixedly disposed over a portion of the imaging core shaft.