Medical probe with multi-fiber lumen

• US 10,342,416 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Bierhoff, Waltherus Cornelis Jozef, Winkel, Axel, Hendriks, Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus, Voss, Stephan, Lucassen, Gerhardus Wilhelmus
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillman, Amelie R
• Application Number:
  US14/348,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00167 Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/223 Optical cables therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical probe which consists of a cannula with a multilumen stylet inside. The multilumen contains at least two lumen. Both the multilumen as well as the cannula may have beveled ends. In the lumen straight optical fibers (i.e. no angle end face) are present that can be connected at the proximal end to a console. The cannula, multilumen, fiber system forming the medical probe comprises at least in one of the lumen of the multilumen more than one optical fiber. Preferably the source and detector fibers for the fluorescence detection are contained in one single lumen of the multilumen.

Claims

1. A medical probe comprising:

a cannula (20) having a multilumen insert (30), and

at least two optical fibers (10) each having a longitudinal axis and an end face, the at least two optical fibers being arranged in a multi-fiber lumen (45;

47) of said multilumen insert (30);

wherein the shape and size of said multi-fiber lumen (45;

47) is adapted to said at least two optical fibers (10) so that the orientation of said at least two optical fibers (10) is mutually fixed by the multi-fiber lumen,

wherein the end face of each of the at least two optical fibers is square to the longitudinal axis of the respective optical fiber;

wherein said cannula (20) and said multilumen insert (30) have beveled ends surrounding said multi-fiber lumen and wherein the at least two optical fibers (10) do not extend beyond the bevel of the cannula (20).

2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said at least two optical fibers (10) comprise source and detector fibers for fluorescence detection.

3. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said at least two optical fibers (10) are placed against each other.

4. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said at least two optical fibers (10) comprises three optical fibers (10).

5. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said multi-lumen insert (30) is beveled by an angle that is smaller than the angle of bevel of said cannula (20).

6. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said multi-fiber lumen (45;

47) is at least partly coated with a metal coating.

7. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe comprises a biopsy needle, an ablation needle, or a catheter.

8. An optical measurement system comprising a medical probe and an optical console to which said medical probe is connectable,

wherein the medical probe comprises a cannula having a multilumen insert and at least two optical fibers (10) each having a longitudinal axis and an end face, the at least two optical fibers being arranged in a multi-fiber lumen (45;

47) of said multilumen insert (30),

the shape and size of said multi-fiber lumen (45;

47) is adapted to said at least two optical fibers (10) so that the orientation of said at least two optical fibers (10) is mutually fixed by the multi-fiber lumen,

the end face of each of the at least two optical fibers is square to the longitudinal axis of the respective optical fiber, said cannula (20) and said multilumen insert (30) have beveled ends surrounding said multi-fiber lumen, and the at least two optical fibers (10) do not extend beyond the bevel of the cannula (20); and

wherein said optical console comprises a light source and a detector, the light, source providing light to a distal end of said medical probe via one of said at least two optical fibers (10), wherein scattered light is guided by at least one other of said at least two optical fibers (10) towards the detector.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said detector is adapted to detect tissue-generated fluorescence through said at least one of said at least two optical fibers (10).

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said light source and said detector provides wavelength selectivity.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said detector is adapted to filter out excitation light using a detection filter.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein said system comprises at least one of a fiber switch, a beam splitter and a dichroic beam combiner with focusing optics, to combine fluorescence measurements with diffuse reflectance measurements, and wherein said one of said at least two optical fibers (10) conveys excitation light for measuring fluorescence and light for diffuse reflectance.

13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a processor adapted to derive optical tissue properties to discriminate different tissue types.