18521617. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING AN EXPANDABLE ELEMENT TO ASCERTAIN VESSEL DIAMETER simplified abstract (Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.)

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING AN EXPANDABLE ELEMENT TO ASCERTAIN VESSEL DIAMETER

Organization Name

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Paul F. Chouinard of Maple Grove MN (US)

Brady Scott Logan of Monticello MN (US)

Ewnet Gebrehiwot of Eden Prairie MN (US)

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING AN EXPANDABLE ELEMENT TO ASCERTAIN VESSEL DIAMETER - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18521617 titled 'METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING AN EXPANDABLE ELEMENT TO ASCERTAIN VESSEL DIAMETER

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a measurement apparatus for determining the effective vessel diameter of a blood vessel at a deployment site. Here are the key points of the innovation:

  • The measurement apparatus includes an expandable element that can be moved between a collapsed configuration for advancement and an expanded configuration for measurement.
  • The expandable element is advanced to the deployment site in its collapsed configuration.
  • The expandable element is then expanded to its expanded configuration, and measurements are taken to determine the effective vessel diameter at the deployment site.

Potential Applications

This technology could be used in medical procedures such as angioplasty or stent placement to accurately measure the vessel diameter at the deployment site.

Problems Solved

This technology solves the problem of accurately determining the vessel diameter at a deployment site, which is crucial for the success of medical procedures involving blood vessels.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved accuracy in measuring vessel diameter, which can lead to better outcomes in medical procedures and potentially reduce complications.

Potential Commercial Applications

Potential commercial applications of this technology could include medical device companies developing measurement tools for use in interventional cardiology or vascular surgery.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure vessel diameter in medical procedures. However, the specific design of the measurement apparatus described in this patent application may be novel.

Unanswered Questions

1. How does the expandable element of the measurement apparatus ensure accurate measurements of the vessel diameter? 2. Are there any limitations or potential challenges in using this measurement apparatus in different types of blood vessels or anatomical locations?


Original Abstract Submitted

An effective vessel diameter of a blood vessel at a deployment site may be determined using a measurement apparatus that includes an expandable element that is moveable between a collapsed configuration for advancement and an expanded configuration for measurement. The measurement apparatus may be advanced to the deployment site with the expandable element in its collapsed configuration. The expandable element may be caused to expand from its collapsed configuration to its expanded configuration and one or more measurements pertaining to the expandable element in its expanded configuration may be obtained. The one or more measurements may be used to determine an effective vessel diameter at the deployment site.