Multi-channel catheter tip

• US 7,672,713 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infraredx Incorporated (Nipro Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Infraredx Incorporated (Nipro Corporation)
• Inventors: Furnish, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cattungal; Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US10/175,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,813 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439, 600/585, 600433-435, 600309-344, 600473-480, 600/407, 607/122, 606 1- 19
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube

Abstract

A tip assembly for a catheter includes a housing having a recess that receives an optical bench. The optical bench accommodates adjacent fibers, one of which is in optical communication with a first beam re-director. The first beam re-director is oriented to cause a beam incident thereon to travel in a direction away from the optical bench. An engaging structure coupled to the optical bench provides torque coupling between the housing and an end of a torque cable extending axially along the catheter.

Claims

1. A catheter tip assembly comprising:

an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and

a housing having a recess for receiving the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.

2. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the first beam redirector is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a diffraction grating, and a prism.

3. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber seated in the optical bench.

4. The catheter tip assembly of claim 3, wherein the first beam re-director comprises a distal end of the optical fiber.

5. The catheter tip assembly of claim 4, wherein the distal end of the optical fiber comprises a diagonal face oriented to direct a beam traveling through the fiber in a direction away from the fiber.

6. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, further comprising a lens assembly disposed to provide optical communication between the first fiber and the first beam re-director.

7. The catheter tip assembly of claim 6, wherein the lens assembly comprises a GRIN lens.

8. The catheter tip assembly of claim 3, wherein the optical fiber comprises a lens integral with a distal end thereof.

9. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the first beam re-director is oriented to cause a beam to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

10. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause the first and second beams to travel in different directions.

11. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, further comprising an annular coupling mount disposed between the torque cable and the housing, the annular coupling mount having a first face coupled to the torque cable and a second face for engaging the housing.

12. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a proximally extending stem for inserting into an aperture in the annular coupling mount.

13. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a tab extending proximally from a periphery thereof, and the annular coupling mount comprises a distal face having walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.

14. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11, wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a tab extending distally from a periphery thereof, and the housing comprises walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.

15. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11, wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a hook extending proximally into a recess in the housing.

16. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical bench is manufactured by a process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, etching, micro-machining, silicon optical bench fabrication techniques, and photolithography.

17. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, further comprising a radio-opaque marker fixed to the housing.

18. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause parallel first and second beams to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical bench.

19. A catheter tip assembly comprising:

an optical bench having a recess extending along a longitudinal axis thereof, the recess having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fixed fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with corresponding first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause a pair of non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and

an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the optical bench and the torque cable.

20. The catheter tip assembly of claim 19, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing and the optical bench define a single unitary structure.

21. A catheter comprising:

a rotatable torque cable;

first and second optical fibers extending through the torque cable;

a catheter tip assembly having;

an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and

a housing having a recess for receiving the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.

22. The catheter of claim 21, wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause parallel first and second beams to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical bench.

23. The catheter of claim 21, wherein the first beam re-director is oriented to cause a beam to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

24. The catheter of claim 21, wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause the first and second beams to travel in different directions.

25. The catheter of claim 21, further comprising an annular coupling mount disposed between the torque cable and the housing, the annular coupling mount having a first face coupled to the torque cable and a second face for engaging the housing.

26. The catheter of claim 25, wherein the housing comprises a proximally extending stem for inserting into an aperture in the annular coupling mount.

27. The catheter of claim 25, wherein the housing comprises a tab extending proximally from a periphery thereof, and the annular coupling mount comprises a distal face having walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.

28. The catheter of claim 25, wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a tab extending distally from a periphery thereof, and the housing comprises walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.

29. The catheter of claim 25, wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a hook extending proximally into a recess in the housing.

30. A catheter tip assembly comprising:

an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and

a housing integral with the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.

31. A catheter comprising:

a rotatable torque cable;

first and second optical fibers extending through the torque cable;

a catheter tip assembly having

an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and

a housing integral with the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.