Apparatus for applying a plurality of electro-magnetic radiations to a sample

• US 9,186,066 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tearney, Guillermo J., Shishkov, Milen, Bouma, Brett Eugene, Vakoc, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENNESS, NATHAN JAY
• Application Number:
  US11/670,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,211 Days
• Field of Search: 602 2- 19, 606 2- 19, 606/108, 600/478
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/207 mixing two wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters

Abstract

An apparatus for applying a plurality of electro-magnetic radiations to a sample is provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus can include an arrangement which has a specific portion with a plurality of channels. One of channels can facilitate a first radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to the sample that is within an anatomical structure, and another one of the channels can facilitate a second radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to the sample. The first radiation may have a first wavelength band, and the second radiation may have a second wavelength band. The first wavelength band may be substantially different from the second wavelength band. According to another exemplary embodiment, the first radiation can be adapted to be delivered to a first area of the sample, and the second radiation may be capable of being delivered to a second area of the sample. The first area may be substantially enclosed by the second area. According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each of the channels can facilitate at least one particular radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to the sample that is within an anatomical structure of the sample, the radiations being delivered to different areas of the sample. Centers of every one of the areas may be provided substantially along a line.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying a plurality of electro-magnetic radiations to a sample, comprising:

a first arrangement which is configured to provide the radiations, at least two of which are separated into a first radiation to be provided to the sample, and an additional radiation to be provided to a reference arm;

a catheter second arrangement having a specific portion with a plurality of channels, wherein one of the channels facilitates the first radiation to be forwarded to the sample that is within an anatomical structure, and another one of the channels facilitates a second radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to the sample, the first radiation having a first wavelength band, and the second radiation having a second wavelength band, wherein the first wavelength band is different from the second wavelength band,

wherein the channels further include a first fiber transmitting the first and second radiations, and wherein the first and second radiations transmitted via the first fiber are separated within a catheter body of the catheter second arrangement, and provided into the one of the channels having a second fiber and the other one of the channels having a third fiber, wherein the catheter body in which the separated first and second radiations are transmitted is configured to be inserted into the anatomical structure;

a processor third arrangement configured to (i) receive first information associated with the first radiation reflected from the sample, and (ii) determine an effect of the second radiation on the sample based on the first information; and

a rotary coupler arrangement which receives the radiations via at least one fourth fiber and provides the first radiation to the first fiber, wherein, when activated, the rotary coupler arrangement causes the specific portion to be continuously rotated within the anatomical structure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catheter second arrangement includes a fourth arrangement having a single channel which, when transmitting at least one radiation, is in a simultaneous optical communication with at least two of the channels of the specific portion, and wherein the fourth arrangement is at least one of a fused fiber wavelength division multiplexer, a thin film wavelength division multiplexer, a grating or a dichroic mirror.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth arrangement which is configured to detect an interference between a third radiation provided from the sample that is based on the first radiation and a fourth radiation provided from the reference that is based on the additional radiation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first information is based on (i) a phase of the first radiation provided from the sample, or (ii) a rate of change of at least one of the phase or an amplitude of the first radiation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor third arrangement is further configured to monitor a change of the first information.

6. An apparatus for applying a plurality of electro-magnetic radiations to a sample, comprising:

a first arrangement which is configured to provide the radiations, at least two of which are separated into a first radiation and a second radiation to be provided to the sample, and an additional radiation to be provided to a reference arm; and

a catheter second arrangement having a specific portion with a plurality of channels, wherein one of the channels facilitates the first radiation to be forwarded to the sample that is within an anatomical structure, and another one of the channels facilitates the second radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to the sample, the first radiation being delivered to a first area of the sample, and the second radiation being delivered to a second area of the sample,

wherein each of the channels is structured to facilitate at least one particular radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to an anatomical structure that is within the sample, the radiations being delivered to different areas of the sample, and wherein centers of every one of the areas are provided along a line.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a further one of channels facilitates a third radiation of the radiations to be forwarded to the sample, and wherein the third radiation is delivered to a third area of the sample that is separate from the first and second areas.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a fourth arrangement having a single channel which is in an optical communication with at least two particular channels of the channels of the specific portion,

wherein a path from the single channel to the sample via one of the particular channels has a first optical distance, and a path from the single channel to the sample via another one of the particular channels has a second optical distance, and

wherein the first optical distance is different from the second optical distance by at least one of (i) at least 0.5 mm or (ii) at most 8 mm.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the channels are structured to facilitate the transmission of the first radiation that has a first wavelength band, and the second radiation that has a second wavelength band, and wherein the first wavelength band is different from the second wavelength band.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a fourth arrangement which is configured to detect an interference between a third radiation provided from the sample that is based on the first radiation and a fourth radiation provided from the reference that is based on the additional radiation.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a processor third arrangement configured to (i) receive first information associated with the first radiation reflected from the sample, and (ii) determine an effect of the second radiation on the sample based on the first information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the channels include a first fiber transmitting the first radiation, and the apparatus further comprising a rotary coupler arrangement which receives the radiations via at least one second fiber and provides the first radiation to the first fiber, wherein, when activated, the rotary coupler arrangement causes the specific portion to be continuously rotated within the anatomical structure.