NEEDLE WITH AN OPTICAL FIBER INTEGRATED IN AN ELONGATED INSERT

• US 20140121538A1
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Stamicarbon B.V. (Maire Tecnimont SpA)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Hendriks, Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus, Bierhoff, Waltherus Cornelis Jozef, Lucassen, Gerhardus Wilhelmus, Winkel, Axel, Nachabe, Rami, Muller, Manfred, Van Der Voort, Marjolein, Horiks, Jeroen Jan Lambertus, Van Den Bergdams, Susanne Dorien, Reich, Christian, Voss, Stephan
• Application Number:
  US14/127,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20140121538A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000095 for image enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• 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 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A needle is proposed including a cannula or hollow shaft with a multilumen insert inside. The insert comprises at least two lumen. Both the insert as well as the cannula have bevelled ends. In the insert substantially straight cleaved fibers are present that may be connected at the proximal end to a console. At least one of the distal fiber ends in the insert may protrude more than half the fiber diameter out of the insert. Furthermore, the bevel angle of the insert is different from the bevel angle of the cannula such that combination cannula and insert is such that the fiber ends do not protrude the bevel surface of the cannula.

Claims

1. A needle comprising:

a hollow shaft having a longitudinal axis and a first bevel formed at a distal end portion of the hollow shaft and with an acute first angle (a) to the longitudinal axis,

an elongated insert having a second bevel formed at a distal end portion of the elongated insert and with an acute second angle (b) to the longitudinal axis,

wherein the first angle (a) is smaller than the second angle (b), and

an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber is arranged within the elongated insert and the optical fiber protrudes beyond the surface of the second bevel,

wherein the elongated insert is arranged and fixed within the hollow shaft, so that the second bevel and a front surface of the fiber is located within the hollow shaft.

2. The needle of claim 1, wherein the front surface of the optical fiber is formed with a third angle (c) to the longitudinal axis, wherein the third angle is greater than the second angle (b).

3. The needle of claim 1, wherein the elongated insert is removably fixed within the hollow shaft.

4. The needle of claim 1, wherein the elongated insert comprises two channels both with an open end at the second bevel of the elongated insert, wherein one open end is located more proximally than the other open end, and wherein the needle comprises two optical fibers each arranged within one of the channels.

5. The needle of claim 4, wherein the optical fiber which is arranged within the channel with the more proximally located open end protrudes out of the open end.

6. The needle of claim 4, wherein the open ends of the two channels are located with a distance from each other which is greater than the diameter of the elongated insert.

7. The needle of claim 1, wherein the elongated insert is coated with a metal coating or a coating having low autofluroescence.

8. The needle of claim 1, wherein the elongated insert comprises three channels each with an open end at the second bevel, wherein a first open end is located distally, a second open end is located in the proximity of the first open end, and a third open end is located proximally, and wherein the needle comprises three optical fibers arranged in the three channels of the elongated insert, respectively.

9. A system for tissue inspection, comprising:

a needle according to claim 1, and

a console including a light source, a light detector and a processing unit for processing the signals provided by the light detector.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the light source and light detector provides wavelength selectivity.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the light source is one of a laser, a light-emitting diode or a filtered light source.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the console further comprises one of a fiber switch, a beam splitter or a dichroic beam combiner.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is adapted to perform at least one out of the group consisting of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, diffuse optical tomography, differential path length spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.

14. A method for producing a needle according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a hollow shaft including forming a first bevel with an acute first angle (a) to a longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft,

manufacturing an elongated insert including forming a second bevel with an acute second angle (b) to the longitudinal axis and forming at least one channel with an open end at the second bevel, wherein the second angle (b) is greater than the first angle (a),

positioning and fixing at least one optical fiber in a respective channel, so that the at least one optical fiber protrudes beyond the surface of the second bevel,

positioning and fixing the elongated insert within the hollow shaft, so that the second bevel and a front surface of the at least one optical fiber is located within the hollow shaft.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one optical fiber is positioned within the channel the open end of which is located more proximally at the second bevel, so that the optical fiber protrudes more than half the diameter of the optical fiber out of the open end.