Ultrasound imaging guidewire with static central core and tip

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging guidewire, that is inserted into a patient's body. The guidewire has a static central core and an imaging guidewire body comprising an acoustical scanning device. The acoustical scanning device can be rotated to obtain 360 degree acoustical images of a site of interest in the patients body. Furthermore, the imaging guidewire includes a connector that permits the imaging guidewire body to be disengaged from the static central core tip so that the imaging guidewire body can be axially translated to obtain multi-position imaging. The imaging guidewire body is axially translated without losing the original guidewire positioning because the static central core maintains its position in the patient's body.