1. A catheter comprising:
a proximal section having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two parallel, side-by-side extending lumens including a delivery lumen having an inner diameter extending substantially from the proximal end to the distal end and a guidewire receiving lumen, the guidewire receiving lumen having a proximal guidewire exit port at a location distal to the proximal end;
a reinforcing tubular member having a wall and proximal and distal ends, said reinforcing tubular member located in the proximal section delivery lumen extending from substantially the proximal section proximal end to a point distal to the proximal guidewire exit port, wherein the reinforcing tubular member is spirally cut through at least a portion of its wall wherein the spiral cut has a pitch that continuously decreases from the proximal end to the distal end and thereby transitions from relatively rigid to relatively more flexible from a proximal point to a distal point thereon and has an outer diameter equal to about the inner diameter of the delivery lumen for the entire length-of the reinforcing tubular member;
a distal section having a proximal end and a distal end and having at least a distal section guidewire receiving lumen and a distal section delivery lumen, the distal section guidewire receiving lumen and the distal section delivery lumen being coaxial for at least a portion of the distal section, the distal section guidewire receiving lumen being in fluid communication with the distal end of the guidewire receiving lumen of the proximal section and the distal section delivery lumen being in fluid communication with the distal end of the delivery lumen of the proximal section; and
a balloon located at the distal end of the distal section, the balloon having an interior in fluid communication with the delivery lumen.
2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the proximal guidewire exit port is located less than about 10 cm from the distal end of the distal section of the catheter.
3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the proximal guidewire exit port is located greater than about 10 cm from the distal end of the distal section of the catheter.
4. The catheter of claim 3, wherein the proximal guidewire exit port is located about 24 cm to about 34 cm from the distal end of the distal section of the catheter.
5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein a stent is mounted on the balloon.
6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing tubular member is comprised of at least two materials of varying stiffness.
7. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing tubular member transitions from relatively rigid at a point proximal to the proximal guidewire exit port to relatively more flexible at a point distal to the proximal guidewire exit port.
8. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing tubular member maintains the same flexibility from a point proximal to the proximal guidewire exit port to a point distal to the proximal guidewire exit port.
9. A catheter comprising:
a proximal section having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two parallel, side-by-side extending lumens including a delivery lumen having an inner diameter extending substantially from the proximal end to the distal end and a guidewire receiving lumen extending substantially from the proximal end to the distal end, the guidewire receiving lumen having a first proximal guidewire exit port located between the proximal end and the distal end and a second proximal guidewire port located at the proximal end;
a reinforcing tubular member having a wall and proximal and distal ends, said a reinforcing tubular member located in the proximal section delivery lumen, wherein the reinforcing tubular member is spirally cut through at least a portion of its wall wherein the spiral cut has a pitch that continuously decreases from the proximal end to the distal end and thereby transitions from relatively rigid to relatively more flexible from a proximal point to a distal point thereon and having an outer diameter equal to about the inner diameter of the delivery lumen for the entire length of the reinforcing tubular member;
a distal section having a proximal end and a distal end and having at least a distal section guidewire receiving lumen and a distal section delivery lumen, the distal section guidewire receiving lumen and distal section delivery lumen being coaxial for at least a portion of the distal section, the distal section guidewire receiving lumen being in fluid communication with the distal end of the guidewire receiving lumen of the proximal section and the distal section delivery lumen being in fluid communication with the distal end of the delivery lumen of the proximal section; and
a balloon located at the distal end of the distal section, the balloon having an interior in fluid communication with the delivery lumen.
10. The catheter of claim 9, wherein the first proximal guidewire exit port is located less than about 10 cm from the distal end of the distal section of the catheter.
11. The catheter of claim 9, wherein the first proximal guidewire exit port is located greater than about 10 cm from the distal end of the distal section of the catheter.
12. The catheter of claim 11, wherein the first proximal guidewire exit port is located about 24 cm to about 34 cm from the distal end of the distal section of the catheter.
13. The catheter of claim 9, wherein a stent is mounted on the balloon.
14. The catheter of claim 9, wherein the reinforcing tubular member is comprised of at least two materials of varying stiffness.
15. The catheter of claim 9, wherein the reinforcing tubular member transitions from relatively rigid at a point proximal to the proximal guidewire exit port to relatively more flexible at a point distal to the proximal guidewire exit port.
16. A catheter comprising:
a proximal section having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two parallel, side-by-side extending lumens including a delivery lumen having an inner diameter extending substantially from the proximal end to the distal end and a guidewire receiving lumen, the guidewire receiving lumen being defined by a longitudinally extending channel provided with a thin material capable of being punctured by a physician during use to form a proximal guidewire exit port at any of multiple locations distal to the proximal end;
a reinforcing tubular member having a wall and proximal and distal ends, said reinforcing tubular member located in the proximal section delivery lumen wherein the reinforcing tubular member is spirally cut through at least a portion of its wall wherein the spiral cut has a pitch that continuously decreases from the proximal end to the distal end and thereby transitions from relatively rigid to relatively more flexible from a proximal point to a distal point thereon and extends from substantially the proximal section proximal end to the proximal section distal end and having an outer diameter equal to about the inner diameter of the proximal section delivery lumen for the entire length of the reinforcing tubular member;
a distal section having a proximal end and a distal end and having at least a distal section guidewire receiving lumen and a distal section delivery lumen, the distal section guidewire receiving lumen and distal section delivery lumen being coaxial for at least a portion of the distal section, the distal section guidewire receiving lumen being in fluid communication with the distal end of the guidewire receiving lumen of the proximal section and the distal section delivery lumen being in fluid communication with the distal end of the delivery lumen of the proximal section; and
a balloon located at the distal end of the distal section, the balloon having an interior in fluid communication with the delivery lumen.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A strain sensor assembly operable to detect a strain in a structure, comprising:
a sensor element comprising an elongated, amorphous or nanocrystalline sensing microwire operable to be coupled with said structure so that the sensing microwire is placed in tension when said structure is subjected to strain, said sensing microwire having a positive magnetostriction property, a first remagnetization response when said structure is in an unstrained condition, and a second remagnetization response substantially greater than said first remagnetization response when the structure is in a strained condition and said sensing microwire is placed in tension; and
a detector separate from said structure and including a transmitter unit operable to create an alternating magnetic field of sufficient magnitude to magnetically couple with said sensing microwire in order to interrogate said sensing microwire and induce a sensing microwire remagnetization response, and a remagnetization sensor operable to sense said sensing microwire remagnetization response,
whereby when said structure is in a strained condition, said remagnetization sensor will sense said second remagnetization response.
2. The assembly of claim 1, said sensing microwire comprising an amorphous or nanocrystalline microwire having said positive magnetostriction properties and being under axial compression sufficient to create said first remagnetization response.
3. The assembly of claim 2, said sensing microwire being glass-coated.
4. The assembly of claim 2, including a support for said sensing microwire which provides an axial compressive load to said sensing microwire.
5. The assembly of claim 4, said support selected from the group consisting of a synthetic resin body substantially surrounding said sensing microwire, a body of paper pulp substantially surrounding said sensing microwire, and a coating solvent-based coating material which shrinks upon drying.
6. The assembly of claim 1, said sensor element further including an outer sheath formed of shape memory material disposed substantially about said sensing microwire.
7. The assembly of claim 1, said sensor element including a reference microwire positioned proximal to said sensing microwire, said reference microwire having a coercivity substantially different than the coercivity of said sensing microwire and a remagnetization response which can be distinguished from the from the second remagnetization response of said sensing microwire regardless of the strained condition of said structure.
8. The assembly of claim 1, said sensor element being applied to or imbedded within said structure.
9. The assembly of claim 1, the voltage amplitude of said second remagnetization response being at least about five times greater than the voltage amplitude of said first remagnetization response.
10. The assembly of claim 1, the voltage amplitude of said first remagnetization response being substantially zero.
11. A method of detecting strain in a structure, comprising the steps of:
coupling a sensor element comprising an elongated, amorphous or nanocrystalline sensing microwire to said structure so that the sensing microwire is placed in tension when said structure is subjected to strain,
said sensing microwire having a positive magnetostriction property, a first remagnetization response when said structure is in an unstrained condition, and a second remagnetization response substantially greater than said first remagnetization response when the structure is in a strained condition and the sensing microwire is placed in tension;
interrogating said sensor element by creating an alternating magnetic field of sufficient magnitude to magnetically couple with said sensing microwire in order to induce a sensing microwire remagnetization response; and
sensing said sensing microwire remagnetization response as an indication of the strain condition of said structure.
12. The method of claim 11, said sensing microwire comprising an amorphous or nanocrystalline microwire having said positive magnetostriction properties and being under axial compression sufficient to create said first remagnetization response.
13. The method of claim 12, said sensing microwire being glass-coated.
14. The method of claim 12, said sensing microwire being on a support providing an axial compressive load to said sensing microwire.
15. The method of claim 14, said support selected from the group consisting of a synthetic resin body substantially surrounding said sensing microwire, a body of paper pulp substantially surrounding said sensing microwire, and a coating solvent-based coating material which shrinks upon drying.
16. The method of claim 11, said sensor element further including an outer sheath formed of shape memory material disposed substantially about said sensing microwire.
17. The method of claim 11, said sensor element including a reference microwire positioned proximal to said sensing microwire, said reference microwire having a coercivity substantially different than the coercivity of said sensing microwire and a remagnetization response which can be distinguished from the from the second remagnetization response of said sensing microwire regardless of the strained condition of said structure, said method further comprising the steps of causing said alternating magnetic field to interrogate said reference microwire in order to induce a reference microwire remagnetization response, detecting said reference microwire remagnetization response, and comparing the reference microwire remagnetization response to said sensing microwire remagnetization response.
18. The method of claim 11, said coupling step comprising the step of applying said sensor element to said structure, or imbedding said sensor element within said structure.
19. The method of claim 11, the voltage amplitude of said second remagnetization response being at least about five times greater than the voltage amplitude of said first remagnetization response.
20. The method of claim 11, the voltage amplitude of said first remagnetization response being substantially zero.
21. A strain sensor comprising:
a sensor element comprising an elongated, amorphous or nanocrystalline sensing microwire having a positive magnetostriction property and an inherent Barkhausen remagnetization response magnitude;
a shape memory material disposed about said sensor element; and
a body of material operably engaging said sensing microwire and operable to place the sensing microwire under compression sufficient to substantially reduce said remagnetization response to a first, reduced magnitude.
22. The sensor of claim 21, said sensing microwire having a glass coating.
23. The sensor of claim 21, said sensing microwire, when placed in tension above a predetermined value, having a second remagnetization response magnitude substantially greater than said first remagnetization response magnitude.
24. The sensor of claim 23, said second remagnetization response magnitude being said inherent Barkhausen remagnetization response magnitude.
25. The sensor of claim 21, said material comprising a synthetic resin.
26. The sensor of claim 21, said first, reduced magnitude remagnetization response being substantially zero.
27. The sensor of claim 21, said first and second remagnetization response magnitudes being induced when said sensor element is interrogated by a remote, alternating magnetic field detector.
28. The sensor of claim 21, including an auxiliary reference wire assembly operably coupled with said sensor element.
29. The sensor of claim 28, said auxiliary reference wire assembly comprising a second amorphous or nanocrystalline reference microwire having a coercivity different than that of the sensor element.
30. The sensor of claim 29, including structure surrounding said reference microwire operable to allow the reference microwire to move freely despite compressive, tensile, or other stresses experienced by the surrounding structure.
31. A strain sensor comprising:
a sensor element comprising an elongated, amorphous or nanocrystalline sensing microwire having a positive magnetostriction property and an inherent Barkhausen remagnetization response magnitude, and an auxiliary reference wire assembly operably coupled with said sensor element; and
a body of material operably engaging said sensing microwire and operable to place the sensing microwire under compression sufficient to substantially reduce said remagnetization response to a first, reduced magnitude.
32. The sensor of claim 31, said auxiliary reference wire assembly comprising a second amorphous or nanocrystalline reference microwire having a coercivity different than that of the sensor element.
33. The sensor of claim 32, including structure surrounding said reference microwire operable to allow the reference microwire to move freely despite compressive, tensile, or other stresses experienced by the surrounding structure.