Ivus system with rotary capacitive coupling

Abstract

An imaging system comprises a catheter having a lumen, a rotatable imaging probe within the catheter lumen including a distal transducer and first and second conductors coupled to the transducer, and a coupler that couples the rotatable first and second conductors to non-rotatable third and fourth conductors, respectively. The coupler includes a rotary capacitive coupler.

1 . An imaging system comprising:
 a catheter having a lumen;   a rotatable imaging probe within the catheter lumen including a distal transducer and first and second conductors coupled to the transducer; and   a coupler that couples the rotatable first and second conductors to non-rotatable third and fourth conductors, respectively, the coupler including a rotary capacitive coupler.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a parallel plate capacitor. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a first parallel plate capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a second parallel plate capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a parallel plate capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a cylindrical surface concentric capacitor. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a first cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a second cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a conical surface concentric capacitor. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a parallel plate capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a first conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a second conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is within the catheter. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is outside of the catheter. 
   
   
       13 . An imaging system comprising:
 a catheter having a lumen;   a distal rotatable imaging probe within the catheter lumen including a first transducer, first and second conductors coupled to the first transducer, a second transducer, and third and fourth conductors coupled to the second transducer;   a rotary capacitive coupler that couples the rotatable first and second conductors to non-rotatable fifth and sixth conductors, respectively; and   a rotary inductive coupler that couples the rotatable third and fourth conductors to non-rotatable seventh and eighth conductors, respectively.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a parallel plate capacitor. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a first parallel plate capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a second parallel plate capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a parallel plate capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a cylindrical surface concentric capacitor. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a first cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a second cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a conical surface concentric capacitor. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a parallel plate capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a cylindrical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotary capacitive coupler comprises a first conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the first conductor to the third conductor and a second conical surface concentric capacitor that couples the second conductor to the fourth conductor. 
   
   
       23 . An imaging system comprising:
 a catheter having a lumen;   a rotatable imaging probe within the catheter lumen including a distal transducer; and   a coupler including a rotary capacitive coupler that couples the rotatable transducer to non-rotatable first and second conductors and a rotary inductive coupler that couples the rotatable transducer to third and fourth non-rotatable conductors.