FIBER OPTIC IMAGING CATHETER
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A steerable imaging catheter is provided, including an elongated catheter tube, at least one steering cable extending along the catheter tube to control the movement of the distal end thereof, and a fiber optic cable extending along the catheter tube. The fiber optic cable transmits illumination light from its proximal end to its distal end and transmits an image from its distal end to its proximal end. In one embodiment, two or more steering cables are used, and the catheter tube is configured to have greater flexibility near its distal end than its proximal end so as to concentrate the movement (flexing) of the catheter tube at its distal end. The use of two or more steering cables, together with the catheter tube having varying flexibility, permit better control of the distal end of the catheter tube while reducing undue twisting of the remainder of the catheter tube.
-
Citations
42 Claims
-
1-22. -22. (canceled)
-
23. A catheter, comprising:
-
an elongated catheter tube having a proximal end and a distal end; at least one elongate element extending along the catheter tube substantially from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter tube to control movement of the distal end of the catheter tube; an optical element having a proximal end and a distal end, the optical element extending along the catheter tube substantially from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter tube, the optical element being configured to transmit light to a tissue positioned near the distal end of the optical element and to receive light reflected from the tissue; and a processor connected to a proximal end of the optical element and configured to determine a state of the tissue based on a wavelength of the transmitted light and a wavelength of the received light. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method of diagnosing a tissue, comprising:
-
advancing a catheter to a position in a body of a patient, the catheter having an elongated catheter tube, and the elongated catheter tube having at least one elongate element extending along the elongated catheter tube to control movement of a distal end of the elongated catheter tube, the elongated catheter tube further having an optical element extending along the elongated catheter tube, transmitting light from the optical element to a tissue within the body of the patient; receiving reflected light from the tissue via the optical element; and determining, using a processor connected to a proximal end of the optical element, a state of the tissue based on a wavelength of the transmitted light and a wavelength of the received light. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. A method for cutting tissue or other material from a body of a patient, comprising:
-
advancing a catheter to a position in a body of a patient, the catheter having an elongated catheter tube, the elongated catheter tube having at least one elongate element extending along the elongated catheter tube to control movement of a distal end of the elongated catheter tube, the elongated catheter tube further having an optical element extending along the elongated catheter tube, a first one of the at least one elongate elements being configured to transmit radio frequency energy, and delivering radio frequency energy from the first one of the at least one elongate elements to cut the tissue or other material. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
-
Specification