Safety systems and methods for ensuring safe use of intra-cardiac ultrasound catheters

1. An intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system, comprising:

an intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter having an elongated catheter body, the catheter including:

an imaging ultrasound transducer carried by the elongated catheter body, the ultrasound transducer configured to generate and receive ultrasound energy;

a temperature sensor positioned relative to the imaging ultrasound transducer along the elongated catheter body so as to sense a temperature caused by the ultrasound transducer; and

a plurality of wires for coupling to the imaging ultrasound transducer and the temperature sensor;

a separate isolation box electrically coupled to the plurality of wires and to a cable; and

ultrasound equipment coupled to the cable,

wherein the isolation box includes a cutoff circuit comprising an enable/disable input to a plurality of gates, the enable/disable input configured to receive signals from the temperature sensor and automatically cut off power to the ultrasound transducer from the ultrasound equipment by gating wires in the isolation box leading to the plurality of wires for coupling to the transducer elements if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor exceeds a known value.

2. The intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said temperature sensor comprises a thermistor.

3. The intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound transducer comprises a plurality of transducer elements.

4. The intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said cutoff circuit comprises an isolation circuit including a plurality of transformers.

5. The intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the number of transformers is equal to the number of transducer elements.

6. The intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the known value is about 43° C.

7. The intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gates are configured to allow signals to pass to/from the transducer while the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is less than about 43° C. and to shut off signals to the transducer when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor exceeds about 43° C.

8. A method of limiting a temperature induced in a body by an ultrasound imaging catheter, comprising:

receiving, at an isolation box that is separate from ultrasound equipment or an ultrasound imaging catheter, an imaging signal from the ultrasound imaging catheter;

receiving, at an enable/disable input to a plurality of gates in the isolation box, a signal indicative of a temperature of tissue adjacent to the ultrasound imaging catheter;

automatically removing power to the ultrasound imaging catheter at the isolation box by gating wires in the isolation box coupling power to the ultrasound imaging catheter if the signal indicates the temperature of tissue adjacent to the ultrasound imaging catheter exceeds a safe level; and

automatically allowing the imaging signal from the catheter to pass to ultrasound equipment if the signal indicates the temperature of tissue adjacent to the ultrasound imaging catheter is less than the safe level.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the signal indicative of a temperature of tissue adjacent to the ultrasound imaging catheter is generated by a thermistor.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the safe level is about 43° C.

11. An isolation box for ensuring safe use of a separate intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter, comprising:

means for receiving an imaging signal from the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter;

means for receiving a signal indicative of a temperature of tissue adjacent to the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter at an enable/disable input;

means for automatically removing power to the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter at the isolation box if the signal indicates the temperature of tissue adjacent to the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter exceeds a known value comprising a plurality of gates in the isolation box coupling power to the separate intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter when the temperature of tissue adjacent to the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter is less than the known value; and

means for connecting the isolation box to a separate ultrasound equipment.

12. The isolation box as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter includes means for generating an ultrasound imaging signal.

13. The isolation box as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising means for isolating electrical currents propagating along the intra-cardiac ultrasound imaging catheter.

14. The isolation box as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the known value is about 43° C.