Optical coherence tomography for biological imaging
First Claim
1. A catheter system for optical coherence tomography, comprising:
- an elongate catheter body;
a source of optical radiation;
an optical fiber within the elongate catheter body and having a core providing a common path for optical radiation reflected from a reference interface and a target, the core having a first refractive index;
receiving electronics configured to receive the optical radiation reflected from the reference interface and the target; and
an interface medium at the reference interface and in optical contact with the optical fiber, the interface medium comprising an adhesive having a second refractive index that is different than the first refractive index, wherein the first refractive index and the second refractive index are mismatched such that the receiving electronics operate in a total noise range that is within 5 dB of the shot noise limit; and
a processor configured to generate an image of the target based upon the optical radiation received by the receiving electronics.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are catheters for use with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) that include an optical fiber core having a first refractive index and an interface medium having a second refractive index, where the first and second refractive indexes are mismatched such that receiving electronics configured to receive optical radiation reflected from the reference interface and the target operate in a total noise range that is within 5 dB of the shot noise limit. These OCT catheters may include a silicon die mirror having a reflective coating that is embedded in the interface medium. The optical fiber can be fixed at just the distal end of the catheter, and may be managed within a handle that is attached to the proximal end of the catheter body, and is configured to allow rotation of the both catheter body and the optical fiber relative to the handle.
445 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A catheter system for optical coherence tomography, comprising:
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an elongate catheter body; a source of optical radiation; an optical fiber within the elongate catheter body and having a core providing a common path for optical radiation reflected from a reference interface and a target, the core having a first refractive index; receiving electronics configured to receive the optical radiation reflected from the reference interface and the target; and an interface medium at the reference interface and in optical contact with the optical fiber, the interface medium comprising an adhesive having a second refractive index that is different than the first refractive index, wherein the first refractive index and the second refractive index are mismatched such that the receiving electronics operate in a total noise range that is within 5 dB of the shot noise limit; and a processor configured to generate an image of the target based upon the optical radiation received by the receiving electronics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A catheter for optical coherence tomography, comprising:
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an elongate catheter body; an optical fiber within the elongate catheter body and having a core providing a common path for optical radiation reflected from a reference interface and a target, the core having a first refractive index; and an interface medium at the reference interface and in optical contact with the optical fiber at a distal end of the optical fiber, the interface medium comprising an adhesive having a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index, wherein the first refractive index and the second refractive index are mismatched such that receiving electronics in communication with the optical fiber operate in a total noise range that is within 5 dB of the shot noise limit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification