Famous Patents
In 1608, Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lipperhey filed the first patent for a working telescope. The patent was denied.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8062226 | Telescope for an imaging catheter A catheter has a proximal end and a distal end and comprises an outer tube having a proximal end, an inner sheath slidingly received within the outer tube and extending distally from the outer tube, and a rotatable shaft extending from the proximal end of the outer ... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8057397 | Navigation and imaging system sychronized with respiratory and/or cardiac activity An imaging and navigation system is disclosed herein. The imaging and navigation system includes a computer and an ultrasonic imaging device disposed at least partially within an ultrasound catheter. The ultrasonic imaging device is connected to the computer and is ... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8043222 | Transducer with multiple resonant frequencies for an imaging catheter A single transducer element that is capable of oscillation at a plurality of natural resonant frequencies may be used in an ultrasonic imaging catheter assembly including a catheter body configured to be inserted and guided through the vascular system of a living be... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8007440 | Apparatus and methods for low-cost intravascular ultrasound imaging and for crossing severe vascular occlusions An intravascular ultrasound catheter system is provided and enables a simplified, economical technique for ultrasound visualization of a blood vessel. The catheter may include a spark ablation system for crossing chronic total occlusions and severe stenoses. The cat... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7993274 | Method, system, and computer product for automatically extracting and tracking cardiac calcifications and determining a tracking centerline Systems, methods and computer products for automatically extracting automatically cardiac calcifications and obtaining a centerline in the tracking. Exemplary embodiments include a method of cardiac diagnostics, the method including obtaining coronary tree segmentat... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7988633 | Apparatus and method for use of RFID catheter intelligence A method and system is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, methods and devices for identifying information about the imaging element used to gather the backscattered data are provided in order to ... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7935060 | Opto-acoustic imaging devices and methods In one aspect, the invention relates to a probe. The probe includes a sheath, a flexible, bi-directionally rotatable, optical subsystem positioned within the sheath, the optical subsystem comprising a transmission fiber, the optical subsystem capable of transmitting... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7909767 | Method for minimizing tracking system interference A method for minimizing tracking system interference caused by a motor driven ultrasonic imaging device is disclosed herein. The method includes providing an ultrasonic imaging device adapted to obtain a generally real time three-dimensional image. The ultrasonic im... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7749168 | Medical system for examination or treatment Medical examination and/or treatment system having a catheter (1) with a sensor (3, 4) connected to an image recording system, said sensor being connected to an image processing unit (24, 25) for evaluating the sensor signals recorded in an exam... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7736317 | Method and apparatus for delivering therapy in and association with an intravascular ultrasound device An ultrasound transducer array (408) includes at least one transducer element (412) having a first (604) and second (606) portions separated by an acoustical discontinuity (520). The first portion (604) has the desired lengt... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7628756 | Extracorporeal emboli detector An emboli detector device receives a blood flow in a perfusion circuit. The connector-like device has a rigid plastic smooth body hermetically sealed from the blood. There is a calculated thin, but rigid window formed as part of the flow-through tubing wall to allow... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7527594 | Optical-acoustic imaging device The present invention is a guide wire imaging device for vascular or non-vascular imaging utilizing optic acoustical methods, which device has a profile of less than 1 mm in diameter. The ultrasound imaging device of the invention comprises a single mode optical fib... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7500954 | Expandable ultrasound transducer array A foldable transducer array is unfolded or deployed for use, providing a larger radiating surface. While folded, the transducer array has a smaller width or volume for insertion into and withdrawal from the patient. ... | 03/10/2009 |
| 7396332 | Transducer with multiple resonant frequencies for an imaging catheter A single transducer element that is capable of oscillation at a plurality of natural resonant frequencies may be used in an ultrasonic imaging catheter assembly including a catheter body configured to be inserted and guided through the vascular system of a living be... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7393501 | Method, apparatus and system for treating biofilms associated with catheters An apparatus, system and method for preventing or treating biofilm associated with catheters. A piezo-ceramic element may be attached to a catheter, and a vibration processor may be connected to the piezo-ceramic element. The vibration processor may provide electric... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7364546 | Multi-functional medical catheter and methods of use The present invention provides multi-functional medical catheters, systems and methods for their use. In one particular embodiment, a medical catheter (100) includes a flexible elongate body (105) having a proximal end (110) and a distal end ( | 04/29/2008 |
| 7359554 | System and method for identifying a vascular border A system and method is provided for using a first vascular image, or more particularly a plurality of control points located thereon, to identify a border on a second vascular image. Embodiments of the present invention operate in accordance with an intra-vascular u... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7338452 | Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and method An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to the present invention has an ultrasonic transducer mounted on a catheter, an instantaneous distortion value calculator which calculates an instantaneous distortion value at the location to be evaluated in the blood vessel... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7335180 | Steerable ultrasound catheter Ultrasound catheter devices and methods provide enhanced disruption of blood vessel obstructions. Ultrasound catheter devices generally include an elongate flexible catheter body with one or more lumens, an ultrasound transmission member extending longitudinally thr... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7289842 | System for medical examination or treatment The invention relates to a medical investigation and/or treatment system comprising: a catheter system, comprising a catheter (1, 7, 9), with a first sensor (4, 11) of an imaging system for optical co... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7288068 | Automatic optimization for ultrasound medical imaging Methods and systems are provided for automatic optimization for ultrasound medical imaging. In one approach, velocity values are unwrapped to avoid aliasing artifacts. Multi-dimensional phase unwrapping is applied to the velocity data. The unwrapped velocity informa... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7288069 | Ultrasonic probe and method of manufacturing the same An ultrasonic probe is characterized in that a piezoelectric member 111 formed of solution-based single-crystal containing at least plumbum titanate is sandwiched between resin layers 113 and 115 having smaller acoustic impedance than the piezoe... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7288264 | Contact-killing antimicrobial devices Contact killing antimicrobial articles, devices and formulations are described which kill microorganisms on contact. The articles, devices or formulations contain a non-leaching antimicrobial material which is a unique combination of an organic matrix having biocida... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7275547 | Method and system for determining the location of a medical probe using a reference transducer array The present invention provides systems and methods for determining the coordinates of a location element mounted on a medical probe. First and second signals are transmitted between the location element and a first and second reference transducers, which may be arra... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7267650 | Ultrasound directed guiding catheter system and method A guiding catheter system employs a flexible shaft having a preformed bend at a distal end. An ultrasound transducer is mounted proximal to the pre-formed bend. The ultrasound transducer has a field of view directed to a distal tip of the guiding catheter. The guidi... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7245791 | Compaction monitoring system Methods for determining a preferred application of a plurality of transducers or sensors to a structure are disclosed for monitoring and imaging deformation of the structure as it is subjected to various forces. ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7245789 | Systems and methods for minimally-invasive optical-acoustic imaging This document discusses, among other things, an imaging guidewire that includes one or more optical fibers communicating light along the guidewire. At or near its distal end, one or more blazed or other fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) directs light to a photoacoustic tr... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7236616 | Biometric piezo scanner A piezoelectric thin film sensor array is used to scan and capture biometric data, for example, a fingerprint image. In one embodiment, a multi-layer structure includes a PVDF layer in between two conductor grids arranged orthogonally to one another. Urethane can be... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7226417 | High resolution intravascular ultrasound transducer assembly having a flexible substrate An ultrasound transducer assembly of the present invention includes a flexible circuit to which an ultrasound transducer array and integrated circuitry are attached during fabrication of the ultrasound transducer assembly. The flexible circuit comprises a flexible s... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7223238 | Method and device for marking skin during an ultrasound examination A method and device for marking a patient's skin during an ultrasound examination to denote a feature of interest. The device comprises a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is adapted for attachment of the device to an ultrasound transducer. The s... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7194294 | Multi-functional medical catheter and methods of use The present invention provides multi-functional medical catheters, systems and methods for their use. In one particular embodiment, a medical catheter (100) includes a flexible elongate body (105) having a proximal end (110) and a distal end ( | 03/20/2007 |
| 7194297 | Impedance-matching apparatus and construction for intravascular device Intravascular device for matching impedances of portions of an intravascular circuit and limiting RF signal-induced heating of intravascular conductors. An intravascular device includes alternating conductive and dielectric layers and an electrically conductive coil... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7175597 | Non-invasive tissue characterization system and method One embodiment of the present system and method is directed to the identification of tissues within a vascular object by analyzing ultrasound data collected from the vascular object by non-invasive scans. By identifying and characterizing types of tissue from ultras... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7155272 | Catheter An ultrasound catheter includes a transducer unit used for observation of the inside of an organism, observation lumens in which the transducer unit is disposed and which extend in the direction of insertion into the organism, a first guide wire lumen provided subst... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7144371 | Transesophageal ultrasound probe having a rotating endoscope shaft A transesophageal ultrasound probe for imaging internal structures via an imaging element located on the distal end of a rotating endoscope shaft. The probe includes a rotating endoscope having an imaging element mounted on the distal end of the rotating endoscope s... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7131948 | Method and apparatus for intravascular two-dimensional ultrasonography A catheter is provided for insertion in the he blood vessel of a patient for ultrasonically imaging the vessel wall. The catheter includes a tubular element and an internally housed drive cable for effective circumferential scan about the catheter of an ultrasonic g... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7110583 | Ultrasonic diagnostic device and image processing device An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes an automatic contour extracting unit that contains an initial contour extracting unit for roughly extracting an initial contour of an object to be examined from an ultrasound image by performing a predetermined operation (suc... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7090640 | System and method for automatic determination of a region of interest within an image A system and method for automated image analysis selects a Region Of Interest (ROI) within a frame, suitable for subsequent Quantitative Intima Media Thickness (QIMT) analysis. Presently, a time consuming manual analysis by a highly trained technician is required to... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7081094 | Imaging transducer assembly The present invention is generally directed towards an imaging transducer assembly. Generally, the imaging transducer assembly is combined with a sensor of a medical positioning system. In one aspect, the transducer assembly and the sensor share the same voltage sou... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7074188 | System and method of characterizing vascular tissue A system and method is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic device is used to acquire RF backscattered data (i.e., IVUS data) from a blood ... | 07/11/2006 |
