Visualization devices for use during percutaneous tissue dissection and associated systems and methods

Abstract

A device and method for visualization of the intravascular creation of autologous valves, and particularly venous valve, is disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology, for example, is directed toward a delivery catheter that can include a lumen configured to receive a dissection assembly and a trough having a plurality of transducers electrically coupled to a proximal portion of the delivery catheter. At least one of the transducers can be configured to emit a signal towards a portion of a blood vessel adjacent the trough, and at least one of the transducers can be configured to receive a reflection of the emitted signal.

Me claim: 
     
         1 . A delivery catheter, comprising:
 a proximal portion configured to be positioned external to a patient and a distal portion configured to be intravascularly delivered to a dissection site within a vessel;   an expansion element carried by the distal portion, the expansion element having a collapsed state and an expanded state;   a lumen extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, wherein the first lumen is configured to receive a dissection assembly;   a trough along at least a section of the distal portion, wherein the trough includes—
 a bottom portion and first and second sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion, the first sidewall, and the second sidewall together define a channel extending along the trough; 
 a first tissue engaging portion positioned along the first sidewall and a second tissue engaging portion positioned along the second sidewall, wherein, when the expansion element is in the expanded state, a portion of the vessel wall is stretched across the tissue engaging portions; 
   a plurality of transducers positioned within the channel of the trough and electrically coupled to the proximal portion of the delivery catheter, wherein—
 at least one of the transducers is configured to emit a signal towards the portion of the vessel, and 
 at least one of the transducers is configured to receive a reflection of the signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the transducers are ultrasound transducers. 
     
     
         3 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the transducers are optical transducers. 
     
     
         4 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the lumen is fluidly coupled to the channel. 
     
     
         5 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the lumen is a first lumen and wherein the delivery catheter further comprises a second lumen and a third lumen positioned between the first lumen and the second lumen. 
     
     
         6 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the lumen is a first lumen and wherein the delivery catheter further comprises a second lumen configured to receive a visualization device. 
     
     
         7 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the lumen is a first lumen and wherein the delivery catheter further comprises a second lumen configured to receive an intravascular ultrasound device. 
     
     
         8 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the lumen is a first lumen and wherein the delivery catheter further comprises a second lumen configured to receive an optical coherence tomography device. 
     
     
         9 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the lumen is a first lumen and wherein the delivery catheter further comprises a second lumen, wherein the second lumen is configured to receive a direct visualization catheter. 
     
     
         10 . The delivery catheter of  claim 1  wherein the transducers are arranged in a linear array. 
     
     
         11 . A system for percutaneous autologous valve creation, comprising:
 a delivery catheter including—
 a proximal portion configured to be positioned external to a patient and a distal portion configured to be intravascularly delivered to a dissection site within a vessel; 
 an expansion element carried by the distal portion, the expansion element having a collapsed state and an expanded state; 
 a lumen extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, wherein the first lumen is configured to receive a dissection assembly; 
 a trough along at least a section of the distal portion, wherein the trough includes—
 a bottom portion and first and second sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion, the first sidewall, and the second sidewall together define a channel extending along the trough; 
 a first tissue engaging portion positioned along the first sidewall and a second tissue engaging portion positioned along the second sidewall, wherein, when the expansion element is in the expanded state, a portion of the vessel wall is stretched across the tissue engaging portions; 
 
 a plurality of transducers positioned within the channel of the trough and electrically coupled to the proximal portion of the delivery catheter, wherein—
 at least one of the transducers is configured to emit a signal towards the portion of the vessel, and 
 at least one of the transducers is configured to receive a reflection of the signal; and 
 
   a controller electrically coupled to the transducers, wherein the controller is configured to analyze the signal to generate an image of the portion of the vessel wall.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a display configured to be in communication with the controller. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the display is configured to display the image generated by the controller. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the transducers are ultrasound transducers. 
     
     
         15 . The delivery catheter of  claim 11  wherein the transducers are optical transducers. 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 intravascularly delivering a visualization catheter to a dissection site within a blood vessel, wherein the visualization catheter includes an imaging portion;   delivering a delivery catheter over the visualization catheter to the dissection site, wherein the delivery catheter includes an open trough, and wherein the delivery catheter is advanced to a position such that at least a portion of the open trough is longitudinally aligned with the imaging portion of the visualization catheter;   moving the visualization catheter longitudinally through the channel of the trough;   generating images of portions of a length of the vessel with the imaging device while moving the visualization catheter through the channel; and   combining the generated images to generate a three-dimensional image; and   displaying the three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the vessel is a vein. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein moving the visualization catheter includes moving the visualization catheter at a constant speed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the trough includes a plurality of transducers, and wherein the method further comprises—
 sending a signal towards the vessel from at least one of the transducers; 
 receiving a reflection of the signal from at least one of the transducers; and 
 generating an image based on the sent signal and received reflection.