Spectroscopy of deeply-scattered light
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for identifying vulnerable plaque in a wall of an artery, the apparatus comprising:
- a catheter defining a longitudinal axis;
an optical bench disposed for rotation within the catheter;
first and second fibers extending longitudinally, with distal ends disposed on the optical bench;
a first beam redirector disposed on the optical bench and in optical communication with the distal end of the first fiber and pointed for directing a beam from the first fiber along a first direction;
a second beam redirector disposed on the optical bench and axially separated from the first beam redirector;
wherein the second beam redirector is in optical communication with the distal end of the second fiber and pointed such that the second beam redirector is capable of directing a beam from a second direction into the second fiber;
the first and second beam redirectors being pointed relative to one another to define an angle;
whereina first line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis extends between the first direction and the second direction;
a second line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis extends between the first direction and the second direction; and
a distance between the second line segment and the longitudinal axis is greater than a distance between the first line segment and the longitudinal axis,wherein the second line segment is longer than the first line segment; and
wherein the angle is selected to enhance collection by the second fiber of scattered light from a target located at a selected depth behind the arterial wall.
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Abstract
A spectroscope includes first and second beam redirectors in optical communication with first and second fibers respectively. The first and second beam redirectors are oriented to illuminate respective first and second areas. The second area is separated from the first area by a separation distance that exceeds the separation distance between the first and second beam redirectors.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for identifying vulnerable plaque in a wall of an artery, the apparatus comprising:
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a catheter defining a longitudinal axis; an optical bench disposed for rotation within the catheter; first and second fibers extending longitudinally, with distal ends disposed on the optical bench; a first beam redirector disposed on the optical bench and in optical communication with the distal end of the first fiber and pointed for directing a beam from the first fiber along a first direction; a second beam redirector disposed on the optical bench and axially separated from the first beam redirector; wherein the second beam redirector is in optical communication with the distal end of the second fiber and pointed such that the second beam redirector is capable of directing a beam from a second direction into the second fiber; the first and second beam redirectors being pointed relative to one another to define an angle;
whereina first line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis extends between the first direction and the second direction; a second line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis extends between the first direction and the second direction; and a distance between the second line segment and the longitudinal axis is greater than a distance between the first line segment and the longitudinal axis, wherein the second line segment is longer than the first line segment; and wherein the angle is selected to enhance collection by the second fiber of scattered light from a target located at a selected depth behind the arterial wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for detecting light scattered from within a wall of an artery, the apparatus comprising:
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a catheter defining a longitudinal axis; an optical bench disposed for rotation within the catheter; first and second fibers extending longitudinally with distal ends disposed on the optical bench; a first beam redirector disposed on the optical bench for causing a first beam emerging from the first fiber to travel along a first direction away from the catheter; a second beam redirector disposed on the optical bench for causing a second beam traveling along a second direction toward the catheter to enter the second fiber; wherein a longitudinal distance between the first beam travelling along the first direction and the second beam travelling along the second direction increases with radial distance from the catheter; wherein the first and second beam redirectors are pointed relative to one another to cause the second fiber to selectively collect re-entrant light. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for collecting light scattered from within a wall of an artery, the apparatus comprising:
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a catheter defining a longitudinal axis; an optical bench disposed for rotation within the catheter, on which distal ends of a first and second fiber are located; the first fiber extending longitudinally to a first point; the second fiber extending longitudinally to a second point distal to the first point; a first beam redirector disposed on the optical bench and in optical communication with the distal end of the first fiber, configured to redirect light emerging from the first fiber towards a first location on the wall; and a second beam redirector disposed on the optical bench and in optical communication with the distal end of the second fiber, configured for redirecting light emerging from the second fiber to a second location on the wall, the second location being distal to the first location; wherein the distance between the first and second locations is greater than the distance between the first and second points.
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29. An apparatus for detecting light scattered from within a wall of an artery, the apparatus comprising:
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a catheter; an optical bench disposed for rotation within the catheter; first and second fibers, distal ends of which are disposed on the optical bench; a first beam-redirector disposed on the optical bench and in optical communication with the distal end of the first fiber, the first beam-redirector being pointed to illuminate a first area; a second beam-redirector disposed on the optical bench and in optical communication with the distal end of the second fiber, the second beam-redirector being pointed to collect light from a second area longitudinally separated from the first area by a separation distance that increases with radial distance from the optical bench; wherein the first and second beam redirectors are pointed relative to one another to cause the second fiber to selectively collect re-entrant light from the second area.
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Specification