Fiber optic endoscopic gastrointestinal probe

• US 6,879,851 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LightLab Imaging, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lightlab Imaging, LLC
• Inventors: Lamport, Ron B., Petersen, Christopher L., Schmitt, Joseph M., McNamara, Edward I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US09/876,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 600/478, 600/476, 600/116, 600/160, 600/182, 600/407
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00172 with means for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2736 Gastroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/307 for the urinary organs, e.g. urethroscopes, cystoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• 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 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4233 oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

A fiber optic probe and a balloon catheter used in conjunction with optical imaging systems, in particular with systems which deliver and collect a single spatial mode beam, such as a single photon, a multiphoton, confocal imaging and ranging systems, such as fluorescence imaging systems.

Claims

1. A balloon catheter comprising:

an inflatable balloon having an inner surface;

a catheter having a longitudinal axis and a bore, said bore in communication with said balloon; and

an optical fiber, positioned within said bore, and having a lens positioned at a distal end of said optical fiber, said lens positioned at a working distance from said inner surface of said balloon and said distal end oriented substantially at an acute angle as measured from said longitudinal axis of said catheter to said inner surface of said balloon;

wherein said fiber is capable of transmitting light having a predetermined distribution of wavelengths, and

wherein said balloon is transparent to at least a portion of said distribution of wavelengths of light.

2. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein said optical fiber is rotatable such that said distal end of said optical fiber describes a path of motion about said long axis of said catheter substantially along said inner surface of said balloon.

3. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein said optical fiber is translationally moveable such that said distal end of said optical fiber describes a path of motion substantially parallel to said long axis of said catheter.

4. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the balloon has a radius between 2.5 mm and 20 mm when inflated.

5. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein said balloon when uninflated and said optical fiber are dimensioned to fit within said catheter.

6. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein said working distance is about 1.0 to about 5.0 mm.

7. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein said distal end of said optical fiber is flexible.

8. The balloon catheter of claim 7 further comprising a pullwire wherein said pullwire is operably joined to said distal end of said optical fiber.

9. The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein said lens comprises a GRIN lens.

10. A balloon catheter comprising:

an inflatable balloon having an inner surface, a lumen, and a diameter between about 2.5 mm and 20 mm when inflated;

a catheter having a bore in communication with said lumen of said balloon; and

an optical fiber, positioned within said bore, and having a GRIN lens positioned at a distal end of said optical fiber, said GRIN lens positioned within about 1.0 mm to about 5.0 mm from said inner surface of said balloon when inflated, said optical fiber being rotatably and translationally moveable relative to said catheter;

wherein said fiber is capable of transmitting light having a predetermined distribution of wavelengths,

wherein said balloon is transparent to at least a portion of said distribution of wavelengths of light, and

wherein said optical fiber, when moved translationally and rotationally, focuses said light onto and receives backscatter from structures substantially adjacent to the exterior of said balloon.