SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING INTRACORONARY LASER SPECKLE IMAGING FOR THE DETECTION OF VULNERABLE PLAQUE

• US 20080262359A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bouma, Brett Eugene, Tearney, Guillermo J., Nadkarni, Seemantini N.
• Granted Patent: US 10,534,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00167 Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution
• 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 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262

Abstract

Apparatus and method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be provided for analyzing tissue. For example, the apparatus can include at least one first arrangement configured to illuminate at least one anatomical structure with at least one of at least one electro-magnetic radiation. The apparatus can also include at least one second arrangement that may include at least two wave-guiding arrangements associated with one another that are configured to receive a further electro-magnetic radiation reflected from the tissue and transmit at least one speckle pattern associated with the further electro-magnetic radiation. The wave-guiding arrangements may be structured so as to reduce crosstalk therebetween.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing tissue, comprising:

at least one first arrangement configured to illuminate at least one anatomical structure with at least one of at least one electro-magnetic radiation; and

at least one second arrangement that includes at least two wave-guiding arrangements associated with one another that are configured to receive a further electro-magnetic radiation reflected from the tissue and transmit at least one speckle pattern associated with the further electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the wave-guiding arrangements are structured so as to reduce crosstalk therebetween.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wave-guiding arrangements includes at least two fibers.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fibers are provided in a fiber bundle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement includes at least one section of at least one of the wave-guiding arrangements.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement includes at least two wave-guiding further arrangements.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement includes a further single fiber.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wave-guiding arrangements are separated from one another by a predetermined distance which is selected so as to reduce the crosstalk.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the wave-guiding arrangements include respective cores, and wherein the predetermined distance is approximately at least 3 times a width of at least one of the cores.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one section of at least one of the wave-guiding arrangements is covered by a cladding material which has characteristics so as to reduce the crosstalk.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wave-guiding arrangements are provided in a leached fiber bundle.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the wave-guiding arrangements includes a wave-guide region that has an angle for transceiving the electro-magnetic radiation that has at least one characteristic so as to reduce the crosstalk.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement includes a plurality of first arrangements.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second arrangement includes a plurality of second arrangements.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement includes a plurality of first arrangements, and wherein the at least one second arrangement includes a plurality of second arrangements.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one third arrangement which is configured to move at least one of the first arrangement or the second arrangement.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first arrangement or the second arrangement is structured to be provided in a particular proximity to an anatomical structure.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the anatomical structure is a blood vessel.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising at least one fourth arrangement which is structured to at least one of (i) partially occlude the blood vessel, or (ii) flush a fluid from or within the blood vessel.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first arrangements or the second arrangements are structured to be provided in a particular proximity to an anatomical structure.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second arrangement transmits at least one angioscopy image.

21. A method for analyzing tissue, comprising:

illuminating at least one anatomical structure with at least one of at least one electro-magnetic radiation; and

with least two wave-guiding arrangements associated with one another, receiving a further electro-magnetic radiation reflected from the tissue and transmitting at least one speckle pattern associated with the further electro-magnetic radiation,

wherein the wave-guiding arrangements are structured so as to reduce crosstalk therebetween.