Abstract: An angioscope comprises a tubular sheath and a central member. The central member carries a lateral reflector for receiving images circumscribing the central member. The tubular sheath includes a light source for axially illuminating a vascular region as it is being optically imaged using the lateral reflector of the central member. The central member can be axially translated through the field illuminated by the light source on the tubular sheath. The angioscope may be combined in a catheter a catheter capable of delivering a therapeutic intervention while viewing a delivery site within a body passageway.

Abstract: A controller system includes a device configured to cross an occlusion or stenosis and a control unit. The occlusion-crossing device has an axial lumen and a drive shaft extending through the axial lumen. The control unit is coupled to the device. The control unit has a processor which produces a variable sound and a variable visual display in response to a load measurement on the drive shaft. The load may be measured by a change in current in a motor which drives the shaft. This change in current is then converted to a frequency for variable sound and to a visual display indicative of the load. The load status on the motor may be divided into discrete load levels and correspondingly indicated by discrete levels in the feedback sound frequency and the visual display. This system may be used to monitor and facilitate crossing vascular total occlusions during percutaneous interventions.

Abstract: A method of treating a target region in a body lumen, said method comprising: directing a uniform dose of ultrasonic energy from an interior of the lumen radially outward over a treatment length of the lumen, wherein the dosage of ultrasonic energy received at any one point along the length varies by no more than plus or minus 6 decibels from that received at any other point along the length.

Abstract: A method of treating a target region in a body lumen, said method comprising: directing a uniform dose of ultrasonic energy from an interior of the lumen radially outward over a treatment length of the lumen, wherein the dosage of ultrasonic energy received at any one point along the length varies by no more than plus or minus 6 decibels from that received at any other point along the length.

Abstract: A method of treating a target region in a body lumen, said method comprising: directing a uniform dose of ultrasonic energy from an interior of the lumen radially outward over a treatment length of the lumen, wherein the dosage of ultrasonic energy received at any one point along the length varies by no more than plus or minus 6 decibels from that received at any other point along the length.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring volumetric flow of a liquid in a vessel having a wall and having an axis extending longitudinally of the vessel parallel to the vessel wall. A flexible catheter is adapted to be disposed in the vessel. First and second ultrasonic transducers are carried by the catheter on one side of the catheter and face the wall of the vessel so that the beams from the transducers each cross substantially the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The first transducer beam is inclined at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The second transducer beam is inclined in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

Abstract: A guide wire assembly comprising a flexible guide wire having a diameter of 0.018 inches or less and having a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes male and female connectors. The male connector includes a conductive coil spring and a core wire which extends beyond the conductive coil. The female connector includes a recess for receiving the core wire as well as a conductive element for engaging the coil spring.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring volumetric flow of a liquid in a vessel having a wall and having an axis extending longitudinally of the vessel parallel to the vessel wall. A flexible catheter is adapted to be disposed in the vessel. First and second ultrasonic transducers are carried by the catheter on one side of the catheter and face the wall of the vessel so that the beams from the transducers each cross substantially the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The first transducer beam is inclined at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The second transducer beam is inclined in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

Abstract: An improvement is disclosed which is applicable to the method for constructing a two-dimensional representation of an object slice lying in a quasi-plane by positioning a radiation source providing a fan beam incident on the object, positioning detector means opposite the source and aligned therewith and lying in said quasi-plane for detecting radiation in said quasi-plane not absorbed or scattered by the object; effecting relative rotation between the object and the source-detector combination about an axis of rotation such that the source and detector means remain in the quasi-plane; effecting measuring projections from the source at a plurality of angular positions during the rotation to obtain a multiplicity of measured data readings from the detectors at each said projection; and reconstructing a two-dimensional representation of the object slice by convolving the data without reordering same, and scaling and back projecting same.