Apparatus for intravascularly measuring oxidative metabolism in body organs and tissues

• US 5,127,408 A
• Filed: 09/14/1990
• Issued: 07/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Duke University of Kunshan
• Original Assignee: Duke University
• Inventors: Parsons, William J., Piantadosi, Claude A., Comfort, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASSER, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US07/582,756
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 128/6-8, 128/633-634, 128/664-666, 356/39-41, 250/227.1
• US Class Current: 600/342
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/00 Preparations for testing in vivo

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring oxidative metabolism in an internal organ or tissue of interest wherein a percutaneous intravascular approach is utilized to bring a light-transmitting and receiving scope into contact with the site to be assessed. The tip of the scope is adapted so that the light-transmitting optical fiber(s) and light-receiving optical fiber(s) are in divergent relationship so as to increase the photon pathlength through the tissue of interest to provide optical information from a substantial volume of tissue relative thereto.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting light into and receiving reflected light from internal body organs such as the heart, brain, liver and kidneys or selected body tissue with a single catheter placed into contact with said body organ or selected body tissue, comprising:

an elongated tube with proximal and remote ends and having manipulator means for selectively manipulating at least the remote end thereof;

at least one light-transmitting optical fiber and at least one light-receiving optical fiber positioned within said tube wherein the remote ends of said at least one light-transmitting optical fiber and said at least one light-receiving optical fiber are divergently oriented relative to each other whereby the pathway of light transmitted by said light-transmitting optical fiber will diverge from the pathway of the portion of said light received by said light-receiving optical fiber;

a light source for producing light emissions of different wavelengths and a detector means for sensing light transmitting along said light-receiving optical fiber; and

connector means operatively connected to the proximal end of each of said light-transmitting optical fiber and said light-receiving optical fiber for optically connecting said light-transmitting optical fiber to said light source for producing light emissions of different wavelengths and said light-receiving optical fiber to said detector means for sensing light transmitted along said light-receiving optical fiber.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the remote end of said tube defines a substantially conical shape with the ends of said at least one light-transmitting optical fiber and said at least one light-receiving optical fiber oriented so as to be in diverging relationship.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated tube comprises a flexible shaft having a protective plastic sheath therearound.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the outside diameter of said flexible shaft is no greater than about 3.3 mm.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said manipulator means is located in a substantially medial position along the length of said elongated tube.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said manipulator means allows for selectively bending the remote end of said tube up to about 120°

away from the longitudinal axis thereof.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the length of said tube between said manipulator means and the proximal end thereof is about 1-2 meters and the length of said tube between said manipulator means and the remote end thereof is about 100-200 centimeters.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one light-transmitting optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers optically connected to said light source.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said light emissions of different wavelengths from said light source comprise simultaneous light emissions.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein light emissions of different wavelengths from said light source comprise sequential light emissions.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said light source provides near infrared (NIR) light.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said light source provides visible light.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said light source provides near ultraviolet light.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said detector means comprises a photodetector.