AU2018203439A1 - Sono-Cath - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A catheter device incorporating ultrasound components, wherein the catheter is a synthetic tube, wherein the catheter houses the necessary components to create an ultrasound image, wherein the ultrasound components include piezoelectric crystals forming a transducer probe, central processing unit (CPU) which does calculations and contains electric power supplies, transducer pulse controls which change the amplitude, frequency and duration of pulses emitted from the transducer probe, display showing images from the ultrasound data processed by the CPU, keyboard for data entry and taking measurements and storage device.

Description

PART 1 DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION :

1. Field of Invention [0001] The present invention relates to the delivery of health.

[0002] Specifically, the invention applies to the addition of a ultrasound probe to a catheter insertion kit.

[0003] Catheters are inserted for many reasons in a medical context.

[0004] Examples include

a) Insertion into veins in order to sample/remove blood or deliver fluid or pharmaceutical therapy ; monitor venous pressures ;

b) Insertion into arteries in order to sample/remove blood, deliver pharmaceutical therapy, monitor arterial pressures, access and assess targeted arterial systems such as the heart or lower limb arteries or renal arteries or mesenteric arteries in order to deliver targeted treatment to that region, for example balloon dilatation or stenoses and/or stent insertion, or embolization of a bleeding vessel.

c) Insertion in to body cavities such as

i) The Bladder via the Urethra in order to relieve various causes of Urinary retention.

ii) The Pleural space in order to drain pleural fluid for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

Sono-Cath Patent

2018203439 16 May 2018 iii) The Peritoneal space in order to drain peritoneal fluid or diagnostic or therapeutic purposes or to deliver pharmaceutical treatments including antibiotics or dialysis.

iv) The Stomach in the form of Nasogastric or Percutanous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tubes, in order to provide an alternative route of feeding or delivering pharmaceutical therapy.

v) The Pericardial space in order to drain pericardial blood or fluid for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

[0005] Traditional access to these vessels or body spaces has been achieved by blind insertion of the catheter or needle or Seidinger setup into the region of interest using anatomical knowledge and acquired manual dexterity skill.

[0006] Blind insertion runs the risk of damaging structures which lie in the path from the point of needle or catheter insertion to the target, or in the path distal to the target.

[0007] These structures cannot be seen by the operator and may include vessels, nerves , bowel and other solid organs such as kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, spleen.

[0008] The unintended damage to these structures may cause additional complications including morbidity and mortality to the patients.

[0009] The unintended damage to these structures may not be apparent at the time or even for several days, weeks or years.

[0010] In more recent times, insertion of a catheter or needle has been assisted by indirect vision provided by Ultrasonography.

[0011] This lowers the risk of unintended structure damage.

[0012] However, there are limits to the ability of Ultrasound to visualize insertion to target trajectories.

Sono-Cath Patent

2018203439 16 May 2018

2.

[0013] [0014]

3. [0015]

4.

[0016] [0017]

Description of the Prior Art

Ultrasound is already used in a number of medical applications to provide adjunctive indirect imaging.

A list of current medical applications follow, including but not limited to :

1. Vascular Access - Central & Peripheral Line insertion

2. Vascular Access - Arterial Line insertion

3. Angiography - Coronary, Aortic, Lower Limb, Renal

4. Pericardiocentesis, Pleurocentesis, Abdominocentesis, Amniocentesis

5. Imaging - Carotid, Renal arteries, Abdominal aorta, Venous Duplex

6. Echocardiography - Trans thoracic and Trans oesophageal

7. Early Pregnancy imaging - Trans abdominal and Per Vaginal

Summary of the Invention

Sono-Cath uses an ultrasound probe housed in the catheter, needle or Seidinger setup in order for the operator to indirectly visual the insertion to target trajectory.

Description of the Invention

The piezoelectric crystals forming the ultrasound probe is housed within the catheter, needle or Seidinger Setup

The ultrasound probe is located at the tip of the catheter, needle or Seidinger Setup.

Sono-Cath Patent

2018203439 16 May 2018 [0018] A cable connects the ultrasound probe at the tip of the catheter, needle or

Seidinger Setup runs towards the base of the device where it transmits the ultrasound echoes to a transducer which through a CPU constructs and image on a monitor.

5. Summary of Invention : Technical Problem [0019] Catheter, needle or Seidinger insertion into various veins, arteries and body cavities using blind techniques have an increased risk of complications due to damage to unseen structures in the insertion to target trajectory.

[0020] Use of ultrasonography ameliorates the risk of unintended damages to these structures through creation of an indirect image, but has limits to its ability to visualize all structures in the insertion to target trajectory.

6. Summary of Invention : Solution to Problem [0021] Sono-Cath solves the problem by housing the ultrasound components within the catheter, needle or Seidinger Setup.

7. Summary of Invention : Advantageous Effects of Invention [0022] A catheter which houses ultrasound components allows the operator a higher quality indirect vision of the insertion to target trajectory, thereby allowing avoidance of obstacles or earlier detection of inadvertent damage to other structures.

Sono-Cath Patent

2018203439 16 May 2018

8. Description of Embodiments [0023] Various embodiments of this invention follow :

[0024] Addition to Cardiac Catheter kit to allow indirect vision from the insertion point of the catheter to the target region in the coronary arteries for diagnostic purposes and allowing balloon angioplasty and/or stent insertion.

[0025] Addition to Lower limb angiogram kit to allow indirect vision from the insertion point of the catheter to the target region in the leg arteries for diagnostic purposes and allowing balloon angioplasty and/or stent insertion.

[0026] Addition to Renal artery angiogram kit to allow indirect vision from the insertion point of the catheter to the target region in the renal arteries for diagnostic purposes and allowing balloon angioplasty and/or stent insertion.

[0027] Addition to Central Line and Peripheral venous kits to allow indirect vision from the insertion point of the catheter to the target region for diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic purposes.

[0028] Addition to Arterial line insertion kits to allow indirect vision from the insertion point of the catheter to the target region for diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic purposes.

[0029] Addition to Pericardial, Pleural, Peritoneal and other body cavity insertion kits to allow indirect vision from the insertion point of the catheter to the target region for diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic purposes.

Sono-Cath Patent

2018203439 16 May 2018

9. Industrial Applicability [0030] A list of industrial applications for this invention follows :

[0031]

1. Coronary Angiography and Stent Insertion

2. Lower Limb Angiography and Stent Insertion

3. Endovascular Surgery

4. Interventional Radiology

5. Venous access - Central, Peripheral

6. Arterial access - Central, Peripheral

7. Medical Procedures - Pericardiocentesis, Pleural Aspiration, Peritoneal

Aspiration

10. Citation List [0032] Not applicable

11. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0033] Not applicable

Claims (1)

1. PART 2: CLAIMS

   1. A catheter device incorporating ultrasound components ;

   wherein the catheter is a synthetic tube, wherein the catheter houses the necessary components to create an ultrasound image, wherein the ultrasound components include Piezoelectric crystals forming a Transducer Probe, Central Processing Unit (CPU) which does calculations and contains electric power supplies, Transducer Pulse Controls which change the amplitude, frequency and duration of pulses emitted from the transducer probe, Display showing images from the ultrasound data processed by the CPU, Keyboard for data entry and taking measurements and Storage device.