Abstract: A sensing system for detecting the frequency and amplitude of motion of a patient's diaphragm, having a transducer for detecting movement, transvenously implantable in a patient's cardiovascular system; a lead coupled to the transducer, transvenously implanatable in a patient's cardiovascular system; and a sensing instrument coupled to the lead for correlating transducer movement with the frequency and amplitude of diaphragm motion. A method for sensing the frequency and amplitude of motion of a patient's diaphragm including transvenously implanting in a patient's cardiovascular system a transducer capable of measuring movement frequency and amplitude; detecting the frequency and amplitude of movement of the transducer; and correlating transducer movement with the frequency and amplitude of the patient's diaphragm movement.

Abstract: The invention relates to an angioplasty guiding catheter and methods for performing coronary angioplasty on a patient, to dilate constrictions in blood vessels. The guiding catheter has an elongated first member having at least one lumen therethrough and a tip, at least one leg member, coupled to the first member, radially extendable from a retracted position generally in contact with the first member to an extended position generally away from the first member, for abutment against an internal wall of patient's cardiovascular system, and means for extending the leg member from the retracted position to the extended position, coupled to the leg member.