JP2009531081A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (21)

  A system for imaging a buried region of a tissue,
  A hood protruding distally from the deployment catheter, the hood being translated relative to the sheath such that the hood reconfigures from a contracted state within the sheath to a non-contracted state outside the sheath A hood that defines an opening that can be disposed on or adjacent to the tissue region to be imaged; and
  The opening is maintained through the deployment catheter so that opaque fluid is pushed away from the hood and purged through the opening to the environment outside the hood while the opening is maintained against the region of tissue. Means for propelling the translucent fluid in the hood;
  Means for visualizing the tissue region through the translucent fluid by a visualization element, the visualization element being an open area defined by the hood such that the element is in fluid communication with the environment through the opening. Placed on or adjacent to the hood, and the visualization element is aligned with the axis of the deployment catheter in the deflated state and from the longitudinal axis of the deployment catheter in the uncontracted state A visualization element that is moved to an off-axis position;
Including the system.   The system of claim 1, wherein the deployment catheter is configured to be transvascularly delivered into a heart chamber to locate an opening defined by the hood.   The system of claim 1, wherein the hood is configured to deploy the hood from a low profile delivery configuration to an expanded deployment configuration.   The system of claim 1, wherein the deployment catheter is configured to be steered to an area of the tissue to locate an opening defined by the hood.   The system of claim 1, further comprising means for stabilizing the position of the hood relative to the tissue.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for propelling a translucent fluid includes a pump for pumping the translucent fluid into the hood via a fluid delivery lumen defined in the deployment catheter. .   The system of claim 6, wherein the translucent fluid comprises saline, plasma, water, or perfluorinated fluid.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for visualizing the tissue region further comprises means for illuminating the tissue region.   The system of claim 1, wherein the deployment catheter is configured to allow delivery of a therapeutic instrument through the deployment catheter.   The system of claim 1, wherein the hood is configured to be relocated to a second region of tissue to be imaged.   The system of claim 9, further comprising a guidewire configured to be routed into or through the hood.   The system of claim 11, wherein the guidewire is configured to guide movement of the hood.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for propelling the translucent fluid includes means for introducing the fluid through at least one lumen defined within the catheter.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for propelling the translucent fluid includes a processor for controlling a flow rate of the fluid into the hood.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for visualizing the tissue region includes a processor for recording the location of the tissue region.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for visualizing the tissue region includes a processor for recording an image of the tissue region.   The system of claim 1, wherein the hood reconfigures from a contracted state within the sheath to an uncontracted state outside the sheath by elastically self-expanding.   The system of claim 1, wherein the visualization element comprises at least one optical fiber, a CCD imager, or a CMOS imager.   The system of claim 1, wherein the means for visualizing further comprises means for illuminating the open area.   The system of claim 17, wherein the means for illuminating comprises one or more light emitting diodes for illuminating the open area.   The system of claim 1, wherein the hood is configured to be translated by translating a non-inflatable membrane that defines an open area of the hood.