Device for sensing temperature profile of a hollow body organ

Abstract

A device for sensing the temperature profile of a hollow body organ includes a catheter and hollow a guidewire carrying a thermal sensor. The hollow guidewire is configured to displace the thermal sensor radially relative to the catheter when unconstrained and can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the catheter. When constrained within the catheter, the guidewire can be advanced to a region of interest in hollow body organ. The catheter can be withdrawn, leaving the guidewire in place in an expanded configuration wherein the thermal sensor contacts the inner wall of the hollow body organ. The guidewire is moveable to sense the temperature at multiple locations. The thermal sensor can be replaced with an electrode for sensing the impedance profile of the hollow body organ.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A device for sensing the temperature profile of a hollow body organ, comprising: 
 a catheter having a longitudinal axis;    a hollow guidewire being disposable in a relaxed configuration externally of the catheter, and in a contracted configuration internally of the catheter; a temperature sensor connected to the guidewire and moveable therewith, the temperature sensor being displaced laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the catheter when the guidewire is in the relaxed configuration.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow guidewire comprises a tubular helix.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow guidewire comprises a material having martensitic transformation properties.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the hollow guidewire comprises nitinol.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow guidewire comprises an elastic material.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the hollow guidewire comprises spring steel.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is a thermocouple.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises one leg of the thermocouple and the guidewire comprises another leg of the thermocouple.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermochromic material.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the thermochromic material is in thermal contact with the lumen of the hollow guidewire.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor further includes an optical probe for sensing the color of the thermochromic material.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the optical probe includes an illumination device for illuminating a region of interest of the hollow guidewire.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the optical probe includes a sensing device for sensing reflected radiation from the thermochromic material.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the reflected radiation is in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the reflected radiation is in the infrared spectrum.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the reflected radiation is in the ultraviolet spectrum.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the temperature sensor is adapted for rotational displacement about the longitudinal axis of the catheter while in contact with the hollow body organ.  
     
     
         19 . A device for sensing the impedance profile of a hollow body organ, comprising: 
 a catheter having a longitudinal axis;    a hollow guidewire being disposable in a relaxed configuration externally of the catheter, and in a contracted configuration internally of the catheter; an electrode connected to the guidewire and moveable therewith, the electrode being displaced laterally relative to the longitudinal axis when the guidewire is in the relaxed configuration.