Method and system for imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating an area of interest in a patient's body
A method and system for imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating an area of interest in a patient's body is provided. More particularly, a manually steered “rapid exchange” type catheter for a system for imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating an area of interest in a patient's body is provided. The catheter comprises a catheter body configured to be introduced to an area of interest in a patient's body, a device for imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating the area of interest contained within the catheter body, and a manual steering device attached to the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device to allow an operator to manually steer the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device, wherein the catheter is configured to be mounted on a commercially available guidewire.
1. A method of using a manually steered rapid exchange catheter to image, diagnose, and/or treat an area of interest in a patient's body, comprising:
introducing a guidewire to an area of interest in a patient's body;
loading the manually steered rapid exchange catheter on the guidewire, the manually steered rapid exchange catheter comprising:
a proximal portion;
a distal portion including a guidewire passage having both an entry and exit;
an imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device positioned within the proximal portion, the device being manually rotated to affect steering of energy emitted by the device; and
a rotational joint that couples the distal portion and the proximal portion
advancing the manually steered rapid exchange catheter along the guidewire to the area of interest; and
manually steering the manually steered rapid exchange catheter by rotating the imaging, diagnosing and/or treating device contained within the proximal portion of the manually steered rapid exchange catheter, while maintaining the distal portion rotationally stationary, to image, diagnose, and/or treat the area of interest.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the manually steering step comprises: manually steering the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device, by an operator, using a manual steering device attached to the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the manual steering device is configured to rapidly rotate the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the manual steering device is configured to translate the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device along a central longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the manually steered rapid exchange catheter.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the manual steering device is configured to: rapidly rotate the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device; and translate the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device along a central longitudinal axis of the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the manually steered rapid exchange catheter comprises an IVUS rapid exchange catheter.
7. The method of claim 1 , the device being an imaging device.
8. The method of claim 1 , the device being a diagnosing device.
9. The method of claim 1 , the device being a treating device.
10. The method of claim 1 , the rotational joint being a rotational bearing.
11. The method of claim 1 , the rotational joint being a safety plug.
12. The method of claim 1 , the rotational joint being a rotary joint including a ball attached to a wire and captured within a socket.
13. The method of claim 1 , the manually steered rapid exchange catheter comprising a torque cable upon which the imaging, diagnosing, and/or treating device is mounted, and the torque cable being arranged to rotate within a catheter body of the proximal portion.