APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ULTRASONIC MEDICAL DEVICE HAVING A PROBE WITH A SMALL PROXIMAL END

摘要

An apparatus and method for an ultrasonic medical device having an ultrasonic probe (15) with a small proximal end (31) to facilitate over the ultrasonic probe (15) exchanges in a time efficient manner. The ultrasonic probe (15) is inserted into a vasculature and moved to a treatment site of an occlusion (16). A coupling (33) engaging the ultrasonic probe (15) to a transducer is disengaged to expose a small diameter at the proximal end (31) of the ultrasonic probe (15). A vascular intervention device (51) is placed over the small diameter at the proximal end (31) and moved along a longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic probe (15) while the ultrasonic probe (15) remains in an approximately fixed position in the vasculature. In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic probe (15) acts a guidewire for over the ultrasonic probe (15) exchanges of various vascular intervention devices (51).