Optical switching system for catheter-based analysis and treatment
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
- a catheter;
a plurality of diagnostic optical fibers carried by said catheter;
a plurality of optical source inputs;
a plurality of optical detector outputs;
an optical junction;
a first optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical source inputs and said optical junction, said first switch selectively optically connecting one of said plurality of optical source inputs to said optical junction;
a second optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical detector outputs and said optical junction, said second switch optically connecting one of said plurality of optical detector outputs to said optical junction so as to receive a reflectance introduced in said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers subsequent to activation of one of said plurality of optical source inputs; and
a third optical switch in optical communication between said optical junction and said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers, said third switch selectively optically connecting said optical junction to one of said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers.
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Abstract
An optical switching system for use with catheter-based analysis and treatment. The use of an optical switching system allows one or more interferometric systems to use the same fiber, control of the duty cycle to protect the sensitive optical devices from harmful back-reflections generated by a treatment laser, and switching through several interferometric light sources in order to determine geometry and composition in the path of the catheter.
75 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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a catheter;
a plurality of diagnostic optical fibers carried by said catheter;
a plurality of optical source inputs;
a plurality of optical detector outputs;
an optical junction;
a first optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical source inputs and said optical junction, said first switch selectively optically connecting one of said plurality of optical source inputs to said optical junction;
a second optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical detector outputs and said optical junction, said second switch optically connecting one of said plurality of optical detector outputs to said optical junction so as to receive a reflectance introduced in said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers subsequent to activation of one of said plurality of optical source inputs; and
a third optical switch in optical communication between said optical junction and said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers, said third switch selectively optically connecting said optical junction to one of said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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a catheter;
a diagnostic optical fiber carried by said catheter;
a plurality of optical source inputs;
an optical junction in optical communication with said diagnostic optical fiber;
an optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical source inputs and said optical junction, said optical switch optically connecting a selected one of said plurality of optical source inputs to said optical junction; and
an optical detector output responsive to light of a selected wavelength, said optical detector output in optical communication with said optical junction so as to receive a reflectance introduced in said diagnostic optical fiber subsequent to activation of one of said plurality of optical source inputs. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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a catheter;
a diagnostic optical fiber carried by said catheter;
an optical source input producing light having a selected wavelength;
a plurality of optical detector outputs;
an optical junction optically connecting said optical source input and said diagnostic optical fiber; and
an optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical detector outputs and said optical junction, said optical switch optically connecting one of said plurality of optical detector outputs to said optical junction so as to receive reflectances introduced in said diagnostic optical fiber subsequent to activation of said optical source input. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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a catheter;
a diagnostic optical fiber carried by said catheter;
a plurality of optical source inputs;
a plurality of optical detector outputs;
an optical junction in optical communication with said diagnostic optical fiber;
a first optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical source inputs and said optical junction, said first optical switch optically connecting a selected one of said plurality of optical source inputs to said optical junction; and
a second optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical detector outputs and said optical junction, said second optical switch optically connecting one of said plurality of optical detector outputs to said optical junction so as to receive reflectances introduced in said diagnostic optical fiber subsequent to activation of one of said plurality of optical source inputs. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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a catheter;
a plurality of diagnostic optical fibers carried by said catheter;
a plurality of optical source inputs;
an optical junction;
a first optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical source inputs and said optical junction, said first optical switch optically connecting a selected one of said plurality of optical source inputs to said optical junction;
a second optical switch in optical communication between said optical junction and said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers, said second optical switch optically connecting a selected one of said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers to said optical junction; and
an optical detector output responsive to light of a selected wavelength, said optical detector output in optical communication with said optical junction so as to receive a reflectance introduced in said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers subsequent to activation of one of said plurality of optical source inputs. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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a catheter;
a plurality of diagnostic optical fibers carried by said catheter;
an optical source input producing light having a selected wavelength;
a plurality of optical detector outputs;
an optical junction in optical communication with said optical source input; and
a first optical switch in optical communication between said plurality of optical detector outputs and said optical junction, said first optical switch optically connecting one of said plurality of optical detector outputs to said optical junction so as to receive reflectances introduced in said diagnostic optical fiber subsequent to activation of said optical source input; and
a second optical switch in optical communication between said optical junction and said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers, said second optical switch optically connecting a selected one of said plurality of diagnostic optical fibers to said optical junction. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method for combining multiple techniques in a single catheter experience using a medical device having a plurality of optical inputs, a plurality of optical outputs, an optical junction, a plurality of optical fibers carried by a catheter, and a controller, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) connecting one of a plurality of optical inputs to an optical junction;
(b) connecting said optical junction to one of a plurality of optical outputs; and
(c) sequentially connecting said optical junction to a each of a selected group of a plurality of optical fibers.
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66. A medical apparatus for safely navigating a lumen using a catheter, which can also differentiate between various objects found within the lumen, and for treating various conditions existing within the lumen, said medical apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving diagnostic illumination from a plurality of optical sources;
means for providing passage through a lumen;
plurality of means for carrying said diagnostic illumination and corresponding reflectances through said means for providing passage though a lumen;
means for distributing said reflectances from said means for carrying said diagnostic illumination and corresponding reflectances to a plurality of optical detectors;
means for injecting the diagnostic illumination from a selected one of the plurality of optical sources into said means for carrying said diagnostic illumination and corresponding reflectances;
means for injecting the reflectances from said means for carrying said diagnostic illumination and corresponding reflectances into a selected one of the plurality of detectors; and
means for routing the diagnostic illumination through and the reflectances from said means for carrying the diagnostic illumination and corresponding reflectances. - View Dependent Claims (67)
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Specification