Catheter or guidewire device including flow sensing and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9750421-B2
Application number	US-201615047333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Jul 5, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for performing procedure on tissue with flow monitoring using flow sensors. The devices include an elongated member, and at least one flow sensor disposed on the elongated member. The flow sensor includes at least one temperature sensor and at least one heating element having a cavity. At least a portion of the at least one temperature sensor is housed in the cavity. A temperature measurement of the temperature sensor provides an indication of the flow rate of a fluid proximate to the flow sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for displaying representations of parameters of an inflatable body and/or expandable body disposed proximate to a portion of a tissue, the inflatable body and/or expandable body comprising a plurality of sensors coupled to at least a portion of the inflatable body and/or expandable body, the apparatus comprising:
a user interface;
at least one memory to store processor-executable instructions; and
at least one processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit:
controls the user interface to display at least one representation of the parameters, the at least one representation comprising:
(A) a first representation of a state of the inflatable body and/or expandable body, the first representation comprising:
(i) a first form indicator to indicate that the inflatable body and/or expandable body is in an inflated and/or an expanded state; or
(ii) a second form indicator to indicate that the inflatable body and/or expandable body is in a deflated and/or a collapsed state; and

(B) a second representation of a state of at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors, the second representation comprising:
(i) a first activation indicator to indicate that the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors measures a signal below a threshold value; or
(ii) a second activation indicator to indicate that the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors measures a signal above or about equal to the threshold value,

wherein the second representation is indicative of a magnitude of an instantaneous velocity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal below the threshold value indicates that the at least one sensor is not in contact with a portion of the tissue, and wherein the signal above or about equal to the threshold value indicates that the at least one sensor is in contact with a portion of the tissue.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first activation indicator and the second activation indicator are displayed as binary visual representations.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first activation indicator and the second activation indicator are displayed as quantitative visual representations that correspond to a magnitude of the signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first form indicator and the second form indicator are displayed as color-coded symbols, where each color-coded symbol is indicative of a range of values of the magnitudes of the signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first form indicator and the second form indicator further provide an indication of a spatial location of the corresponding at least one sensor relative to the inflatable body and/or expandable body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit controls the user interface to cause display of the first representation and the second representation in a staged process, such that:
no second representation is displayed while the first representation is the first form indicator; and
the second representation is displayed once the first representation is the second form indicator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit controls the user interface to further cause display of an indication of at least one stage of a procedure being performed on the portion of the tissue.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit controls the user interface to cause display of an indication of an endpoint of a procedure being performed on the portion of the tissue.

10. An apparatus for displaying representations of parameters of an inflatable body and/or expandable body disposed proximate to a portion of a tissue, the inflatable body and/or expandable body comprising a plurality of sensors coupled to at least a portion of the inflatable body and/or expandable body, the apparatus comprising:
a user interface;
at least one memory to store processor-executable instructions; and
at least one processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit:
controls the user interface to display at least one representation of the parameters, the at least one representation comprising:
(A) a first representation of a state of the inflatable body and/or expandable body, the first representation comprising:
(i) a first form indicator to indicate that the inflatable body and/or expandable body is in an inflated and/or an expanded state; or
(ii) a second form indicator to indicate that the inflatable body and/or expandable body is in a deflated and/or a collapsed state; and

(B) a second representation of a state of at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors, the second representation comprising:
(i) a first activation indicator to indicate that the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors measures a signal below a threshold value; or
(ii) a second activation indicator to indicate that the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors measures a signal above or about equal to the threshold value,

wherein the second representation is indicative of a magnitude of a volumetric flow.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the signal below the threshold value indicates that the at least one sensor is not in contact with a portion of the tissue, and wherein the signal above or about equal to the threshold value indicates that the at least one sensor is in contact with a portion of the tissue.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first activation indicator and the second activation indicator are displayed as binary visual representations.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first activation indicator and the second activation indicator are displayed as quantitative visual representations that correspond to a magnitude of the signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first form indicator and the second form indicator are displayed as color-coded symbols, where each color-coded symbol is indicative of a range of values of the magnitudes of the signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first form indicator and the second form indicator further provide an indication of a spatial location of the corresponding at least one sensor relative to the inflatable body and/or expandable body.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit controls the user interface to cause display of the first representation and the second representation in a staged process, such that:
no second representation is displayed while the first representation is the first form indicator; and
the second representation is displayed once the first representation is the second form indicator.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit controls the user interface to further cause display of an indication of at least one stage of a procedure being performed on the portion of the tissue.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit controls the user interface to cause display of an in

Assignees

• Mc10 Inc

Inventors

• Ghaffari Roozbeh
• Lee Stephen
• Work John
• Wright Jr John A
• Klinker Lauren

Classifications

• A61N1/36135 Primary

  using physiological parameters · CPC title

• A61N7/02

  Localised ultrasound hyperthermia · CPC title

• A61N1/36007

  of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control · CPC title

• A61N1/0514

  Electrodes for the urinary tract · CPC title

• A61B2018/1861

  with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter · CPC title