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A medical device assembly and method provides an ultrasound transducer mounted onto a delivery member, such the elongate body of a catheter shaft, without a support structure bridging between a separation area between the transducer and the shaft. Mounting flanges are extend from either end of the t

A medical device assembly and method provides an ultrasound transducer mounted onto a delivery member, such the elongate body of a catheter shaft, without a support structure bridging between a separation area between the transducer and the shaft. Mounting flanges are extend from either end of the transducer and are mounted at first and second locations along the catheter shaft such that the transducer is suspended over the catheter shaft between those mounting locations. The flanges may be connected by an intermediate member, with the transducer supported on either an outer surface or an inner surface of the intermediate member. The intermediate member may also provide a housing with an enclosed space that houses the transducer, wherein the flanges extend from the housing for mounting to the catheter shaft. In an overall tissue coupling system, a cylindrical ultrasound transducer are mounted onto a catheter shaft by use of such mounting flanges extending from the transducer's ends and such that the ultrasound transducer is enclosed within a balloon also provided on the catheter. The balloon is ideally adapted to engage a circumferential region of tissue where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium such that the cylindrical ultrasound transducer is able to couple through the balloon inflation fluid and to the circumferential region of tissue surrounding the balloon for ablation. The transducer is substantially "airbacked" when mounted onto a delivery member according to the present assembly and method.

대표청구항 ▼

A medical device assembly and method provides an ultrasound transducer mounted onto a delivery member, such the elongate body of a catheter shaft, without a support structure bridging between a separation area between the transducer and the shaft. Mounting flanges are extend from either end of the t

A medical device assembly and method provides an ultrasound transducer mounted onto a delivery member, such the elongate body of a catheter shaft, without a support structure bridging between a separation area between the transducer and the shaft. Mounting flanges are extend from either end of the transducer and are mounted at first and second locations along the catheter shaft such that the transducer is suspended over the catheter shaft between those mounting locations. The flanges may be connected by an intermediate member, with the transducer supported on either an outer surface or an inner surface of the intermediate member. The intermediate member may also provide a housing with an enclosed space that houses the transducer, wherein the flanges extend from the housing for mounting to the catheter shaft. In an overall tissue coupling system, a cylindrical ultrasound transducer are mounted onto a catheter shaft by use of such mounting flanges extending from the transducer's ends and such that the ultrasound transducer is enclosed within a balloon also provided on the catheter. The balloon is ideally adapted to engage a circumferential region of tissue where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium such that the cylindrical ultrasound transducer is able to couple through the balloon inflation fluid and to the circumferential region of tissue surrounding the balloon for ablation. The transducer is substantially "airbacked" when mounted onto a delivery member according to the present assembly and method. the body. 19. The system of claim 14 wherein the display is further operable to display a generic representation indicative of a position of the body. 20. The system of claim 19 wherein the generic representation comprises a three-dimensional compass graphic. 21. The system of claim 19 wherein the generic representation comprises a generic representation of at least a portion of the body. 22. The system of claim 19 wherein a polygon is positioned in the generic representation, the polygon comprises a same shape as the two-dimensional image, and the generic representation is adjacent the two-dimensional image on the display. 23. The system of claim 19 wherein the two-dimensional image is positioned in the generic representation. 24. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller and display comprise a remote workstation wherein the orientation of the two-dimensional image is response to input at the remote workstation. 25. The system of claim 14 further comprising a memory wherein the two-dimensional image is responsive to ultrasound data stored in the memory and the orientation of the image is independent of previous displays generated as a function of the ultrasound data. 26. A medical diagnostic ultrasound method for displaying a two-dimensional image, the method comprising the acts of: (a) generating a two-dimensional ultrasound image; (b) orienting the two-dimensional ultrasound image such that the image appears rotated from a transducer-up or down position as a function of a border of the image, the rotation independent of previous image data. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein (b) comprises positioning the image such that a center of an edge corresponding to a position adjacent to the transducer is oriented at an angle of rotation away from vertical on a display. 28. The method of claim 26 further comprising: (c) displaying the two-dimensional ultrasound image on a display, the display being substantially free of three-dimensional representations rendered as a function of a scan of the body. 29. The method of claim 26 further comprising: (c) inputting from the user the rotation of the image. 30. The method of claim 26 further comprising: (c) determining the rotation of the image as a function of a transducer position sensor. 31. The method of claim 26 further comprising: (c) generating a generic representation indicative of a position of the body. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein (c) comprises generating a three-dimensional compass graphic. 33. The method of claim 31 wherein (c) comprises generating a generic representation of at least a portion of the body. 34. The method of claim 31 further comprising: (d) generating a