Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The present invention relates to the field of medical catheters, and
more particularly to
catheters adopted for intracorporeal imaging of body cells, tissues or organs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Endovascular procedures usually use x-ray fluoroscopy to help navigate
through the
body and deliver endovascular devices and drugs to the designated sites in the
body. This
technique, however, poses the risk of exposure to the x-ray to the patient and
the physician and
the risk of contrast agents administration to the patient. In addition,
physicians desire to have an
intracorporeal mean to have a detailed picture of different tissues presented
in the sites of
intervention in the body. There are intracorporeal devices incorporating
optical coherence
tomography (OCT) or acoustic energy to generate images form within the body.
[0005] Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an imaging technique that is
being used in
medical and industrial application. In medical application this imaging method
usually uses
electrodes placed externally around a part of body to measure the electrical
impedances and
reconstruct an impedance image thereof. Prior arts have been disclosed about
the use of EIT as an
intracorporeal imaging tool therein, to the knowledge of the inventor, there
is no capacity for
generating forward-looking images.
[0006] Therefor there is need for a simple,inexpensive, and efficient forward-
looking imaging
tool that can better help navigating through tortuous passages in the body and
having a
forward-looking image of the site.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to a first broad aspect, there is provided an imaging
catheter device
comprising: an elongated and hollow body extending between a proximal end and
a distal end
along longitudinal axis, at least one electrically conductive elongated bodies
secured to at least the
distal end of the elongated and hollow body and extending longitudinally along
at least a portion
of the elongated and hollow body, with the electrically conductive elongated
bodies capable of
sending or receiving electrical current into or from the targeted tissues,
cells and organs.
[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distal end of of the
electrically
conductive bodies in the imaging catheter device may be used as electrodes to
create images of a
portion of tissues inside a living body by electrical impedance tomography
(EIT).
[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention the electrically conductive
bodies may be
extended to the distal end of the imaging catheter device allowing for
creating what is known by
those skilled in the art as forward-looking images.
[0010] In one application of the present invention the imaging catheter device
can be used as a
forward-looking guiding catheter therein guide wire or other medical devices
can pass
therethrough.
[0011] In one application of the present invention the imaging catheter device
may be used to
help better target a crossing or atherectomy device.
[0012] In one application of the present invention the imaging catheter device
may be used to
help better deliver a balloon catheter or a stent.
[0013] in one embodiment of the present invention the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies may be arranged in a, including, but not limited to, circular pattern
therein any subset
thereof may be used to apply or measure current or voltages or measure
electrical properties of
the tissues, cells or Organs.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies may be on a distal surface of the imaging catheter device perpendicular
to the longitudinal
axis.
[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies may be on a distal surface of the imaging catheter device parallel to
the longitudinal axis.
[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies may be on a distal surface of the imaging catheter device with any
angle with respect to the
longitudinal axis.
[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies may be on more than one distal surfaces of the imaging catheter device
having different
angles with respect to the longitudinal axis.
[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention the measurements of the
electrical
properties of the tissues, cells, or organs at the distal end of the imaging
catheter device may be
further processed to reconstruct a two-dimensional image of the tissues at the
distal end of the
imaging catheter device.
[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention the measurements of the
electrical
properties of the tissues, cells or organs at the distal end of the imaging
catheter device may be
further processed to reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the tissues at
the distal end of the
imaging catheter device.
[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention the materials or the
construction of the
imaging catheter device allows the whole or a portion thereof to be flexible
to bending.
[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention at least one of the
electrically conductive
bodies can be pulled form the proximal end to impose a bend in at least a
portion of the imaging
catheter device.
[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention the angular arrangement of
electrically
conductive bodies can be changed in at least one selected region of the
imaging catheter device to
nullify the bending therein.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
[0023] In one application of the present invention the imaging catheter system
may comprise
disposable components and reusable components.
[0024] In one application of the present invention the imaging catheter system
may comprise
components designated to be used in sterile field and components designated to
be used in
non-sterile field.
[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention the disposable components
may comprise,
including, but not limited to, the imaging catheter device, a proximal port,
intermediate
electronics and distal end bending and manipulation means, and at least one
communication mean
with reusable components.
[0026] In one embodiment of the invention the access to the hollow body of the
imaging
catheter device, known by those skilled in the art as lumen, may be from a
port at the proximal
end thereof.
[0027] In one embodiment of the invention the access to the hollow body of the
imaging
catheter device, known by those skilled in the art as lumen, may be from a
port anywhere on the
circumferential surface thereof. This type of access is known by those skilled
the art as the rapid
exchange.
[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention the reusable components may
comprise,
including, but not limited to, a console that comprises at least the
electronics to further process
the measurements and reconstruct images and a display to view them.
[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention the three-dimensional images
generated by
the system may be viewed using virtual reality equipment.
[0030]
In one embodiment of the present invention artificial intelligence algorithm
or machine
learning algorithms may be used to reconstruct the image from the
measurements.
[0031] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of
present
invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the drawings
and detailed
descriptions. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed descriptions are to be
regarded as illustrative
in nature and not restrictive.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the
following detailed description, taken in combination with the following
drawings, in which:
[0033] FIG. FIG. 1 illustrates an imaging catheter device distal end
comprising elongated
circular tube and ten electrically conductor bodies integrated longitudinally
in the tube's wall, in
accordance with one embodiment.
[0034] FIG. FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a catheter distal end
comprising ten conductor
body ends, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0035] FIG. FIG. 3a illustrates front view of imaging catheter device distal
end inducing
three-dimensional current field into the tissues, cells or organs inside a
body.
[0036] FIG. FIG. 3b illustrates side view of imaging catheter device distal
end inducing
three-dimensional current field into the tissues, cells or organs inside a
body.
[0037] FIG. FIG. 4a illustrates an imaging catheter device distal end
therein the distal ends of
conductors are located on the front surface thereof, in accordance with one
embodiment.
[0038] FIG. FIG. 4b illustrates an imaging catheter device distal end
therein the distal ends of
conductors are located on the circumferential surface thereof, in accordance
with one
embodiment.
[0039] FIG. FIG. 4c illustrates an imaging catheter device distal end
therein the distal ends of
conductors are located on angled or round circumferential surface thereof, in
accordance with one
embodiment.
[0040] FIG. FIG. 4d illustrates an imaging catheter device distal end
therein the distal ends of
conductors are located on multiple surfaces thereof, in accordance with one
embodiment.
[0041] FIG. FIG. 5 illustrates an imaging catheter device therein the
distal ends thereof can be
bent by applying pull force to the proximal ends of the electrically
conductive bodies, in
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
accordance with an embodiment.
[0042] FIG. FIG. 6 illustrates a catheter device therein bending and non-
bending regions are
created by arranging the electrically conductive bodies in radially asymmetric
or symmetric
configurations, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0043] FIG. FIG. 7 is diagram illustrating an imaging catheter system
architecture comprising
disposable and reusable components, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0044] FIG. FIG. 8 illustrates an imaging catheter device therein the access
port to the lumen
is located on the circumferential surfaces thereof, in accordance with an
embodiment.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the imaging catheter device
comprising an
elongated hollow body 101 having at least one lumen 104 and a distal end 103.
At least one
elongated electrically conductive body 102 extending to, including, but not
limited, the distal end
103 of elongated hollow body 101 between inner surface 106 and outer surface
107.
[0046]
The elongated electrically conductive bodies 102 have exposed surface 105 at
the distal
end 103 therein the electrically conductive body is in contact with the
tissues, cells, fluids, or
organs in the body.
[0047] In one embodiment the exposed surface 105 may be covered with an
additional layer of
electrically conductive material to enhance, including, but not limited, its
electrical performance,
durability, or corrosion resistance.
[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates the view perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of
one embodiment of
the imaging catheter device. In this embodiment at least one electrically
conductive body 201
distributed in, including, but not limited to, a circular pattern 202 between
inner surface 207 and
the outer surface 208 of the distal end of the imaging catheter device.
[0049] In one embodiment of the imaging catheter device two elongated
conductive bodies
204 and 203 may be used to pass AC or DC electrical current through the tissue
in contact with
imaging catheter distal end and two elongated conductive bodies 206 and 205,
including the same
used to pass electrical current 204 and 203 may be used to measure voltage.
[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention the electrical current can
be passed at least
between two electrically conductive bodies 204 and 203 and at most between all
the possible
combinations thereof and the voltage may be measured at least between two
electrically
conductive bodies 206 and 205 and at most between all the possible
combinations thereof.
[0051] in one embodiment of the present invention the current and voltages
measurements
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
may be used to map, including, but not limited, the electrical impedance of
the tissue in contact
with the distal end of the imaging catheter device.
[0052] FIG. 3 qualitatively illustrates the three-dimensional current field
306 in proximity of
the distal end 309 of an embodiment of the imaging catheter device 301. FIG.
3a is the view
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the distal end of the imaging
catheter device 301 and
FIG. 3b is the view parallel to the longitudinal axis of the distal end of the
imaging catheter
device 301.
[0053] In one embodiment the current field may be induced in the tissues in
proximity of the
distal end 309 of the imaging catheter device 301 using distal ends 302 and
303 of the elongated
electrically conductive bodies 302 and 303 and voltages are measured across
different paths 307
and 310. The path 310 passes through an area therein the tissue 308 has
different electrical
properties thus the voltage measurement through this path would be different
from what is
expected from an electrically homogeneous tissues. These variations in the
voltages may be used
to calculate the location of the tissue with different electrical properties
308.
[0054] In one embodiment the measured voltages may be processed to reconstruct
two-dimensional image of the tissues at the distal face 309 of the imaging
catheter device 301.
[0055] In one embodiment the measured voltages may be processed to reconstruct
three-dimensional image of the tissues at the distal face 309 of the imaging
catheter device 301.
[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates embodiments of the imaging catheter device distal
end, including, but
not limited to four exemplary configurations of the distal face of the
elongated hollow body and
the distal ends of the elongated electrically conductive bodies.
[0057] FIG. 4a illustrates one embodiment therein the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies 401 are exposed at the distal surface 402 of the elongated hollow body
perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow body.
[0058] FIG. 4b illustrates one embodiment therein the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies 408 are exposed at the distal circumferential surface 403 of the
elongated hollow body
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow body.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
[0059] FIG. 4c illustrates one embodiment therein the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies 409 are exposed at the distal tapered or round surface 404 of the
elongated hollow body.
[0060] FIG. 4d illustrates one embodiment therein the distal end of the
electrically conductive
bodies 410 are exposed at the distal surface 405 of the elongated hollow body
perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow body, the distal circumferential
surface 407 of the
elongated hollow body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated
hollow body, and the
distal tapered or round surface 406 of the elongated hollow body.
[0061] While FIG. 4 represents four possible examples of the distal end
configurations, it is to
be understood that these examples are not to be regarded as restrictive.
[0062] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment therein the imaging catheter device
is flexible to
bending at least in its distal region 501. In this embodiment the distal ends
504 and 505 of the
elongated electrically conductive bodies 502 and 503 are secured to the distal
surface 506 of the
imaging catheter device distal end 501 and are free to be pulled from the
proximal end. In this
embodiment pulling the proximal end of the elongated conductive bodies 502 and
503 with
different forces 508 and 507 causes the flexible region 501 of the imaging
catheter device to be
bent.
[0063] In the embodiment illustrated in the FIG. 5 the electrically conductive
bodies 502 and
503 are additionally used as tendons to manipulate the distal region of the
imaging catheter.
Those skilled in the art understand that this is a feature that may help in
navigating the catheter
through the tortuous passages inside the body.
[0064] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment therein the bending of the imaging
catheter device
can be limited to a selected region 603 when the elongated conductive bodies
604 and 605 are
pulled by force 607 and 608 from the proximal end.
[0065] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 the imaging catheter device may
have regions
of bending 603, non-bending 601 and transition 602. In the bending region 603
the elongated
conductive bodies 604 and 605 are located on one side of lumen 606 thus puling
them cause the
imaging catheter device to bend in this region. In the non-bending region 601
the elongated
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-25
conductive bodies 604 and 605 are located on opposite sides of each other with
respect to the
lumen 606 thus puling them does not cause the imaging catheter device to bend
in this region.
The transition region 602 is where the elongated conductive bodies 604 and 605
are reconfigured
and the transition from bending region 603 non-bending region 601 takes place.
[0066] FIG. 7 illustrates the one exemplary architecture of the imaging
catheter system. It
should be understood that this example is not to be regarded as restrictive to
other possible
architectures of the system that serve the same purpose.
[0067] In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 the system may be divided into
disposable
components and reusable components. The disposable components may include, but
not limited
to: the imaging catheter device distal section 710, the imaging catheter
device proximal section
711, the imaging catheter device intermediate electronics and their housing
701, and the
communication cables 704. The reusable components may include, but not limited
to: console
707 that process the measurements and display the reconstructed image on a
display 708 or a
three-dimensional visualization goggle 709 through a proper communication mean
711.
[0068] In one embodiment the imaging catheter device represented in FIG. 7 may
have at least
one proximal port 703 to be used to insert a guide wire, balloon catheter or
stent 705 in the
imaging catheter device lumen extending from the port 703 to the distal end
702 of the imaging
catheter device.
[0069] In one embodiment the imaging catheter device represented in FIG. 7 may
have at least
one proximal mean 706 to manipulate and bend the distal of end of the imaging
catheter device.
[0070] FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of the imaging catheter device
therein the access to
the lumen of the catheter is through what is know to those skilled in the art
as a rapid exchange
port 804. This embodiment comprises an imaging catheter device distal section
803 and
intermediate electronics and their housing 801. The access to the lumen of the
catheter is through
a rapid exchange port 804 located on the circumferential surface of the distal
section of the
imaging catheter device. A guide wire, balloon catheter or stent 805 can be
delivered to the distal
end of the catheter 802 through the rapid exchange port 804.
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