OPTICAL-ELECTRICAL ROTARY JOINT AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20130223798A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: De Jong, Duane, Jenner, Robert K., Yin, Jiyuan (John)
• Granted Patent: US 9,360,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3604 Rotary joints allowing relative rotational movement between opposing fibre or fibre bundle ends

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to rotatable optical couplings, and more particularly to a manually separable and re-connectable optical-electrical rotary joint. The invention provides a manually separable optical-electrical rotary joint in which an optical signal and electrical signal are transmitted while a downstream component rotates relative to an up-stream component, for example, as driven by a motor at the upstream component. Further, the downstream component can be easily manually unplugged from the upstream component.

Claims

1. An optical electrical rotary joint comprising:

an upstream member comprising an optical line and an electrical conductor; and

a downstream member rotatably coupled to the upstream member and comprising;

a downstream conductor in constant electrical contact with the upstream electrical conductor, and

a downstream optical line in optical communication with the optical line.

2. The joint of claim 1, further comprising a motor to drive rotation of the downstream member.

3. The joint of claim 2, wherein the motor is stationary relative to the upstream member.

4. The joint of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of upstream and downstream electrical conductors, each in constant contact with its respective other.

5. The joint of claim 1, wherein the upstream and downstream members are manually separable and joinable.

6. The joint of claim 5, wherein the constant contact is maintained by one selected from the list consisting of slip ring, torroidal spring, pogo pin, and cantilever.

7. The joint of claim 1, wherein the upstream member comprises a jack on an imaging apparatus and the downstream member comprises a plug on a catheter.

8. The joint of claim 7, wherein the catheter is disposable.

9. A method for carrying current and light across a rotating joint, the method comprising:

transmitting light between an upstream instrument and a downstream component;

conducting electricity from the instrument to the component; and

rotating the component relative to the instrument while transmitting the light and conducting the electricity.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising conducting a plurality of distinct electrical signals simultaneously through a plurality of conductors.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising manually coupling the component to the instrument.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the component is manually separable from the instrument.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising driving the rotation with a motor that remains stationary relative to the component.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the component comprises an optical line disposed coaxially with a drive shaft of the motor.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitted light comprises a signal representing an image of tissue.

16. A plug for a rotary joint, the plug comprising:

a contact point coupled to an electrical line, and

an end of an optical conductor,

wherein the contact point and the end are housed in a plug member that is configured to be manually inserted into a corresponding jack in an instrument such that the plug member can rotate relative to a corresponding optical conductor and electrical line in the instrument.

17. The plug of claim 16, wherein the plug member is a male form factor adapted to be manually coupled to the jack.

18. The plug of claim 16, wherein the contact point comprises a metal ring.

19. The plug of claim 16, further wherein the plug member is manually connectable and dis-connectable with the jack.

20. The plug of claim 16, wherein the optical conductor comprises an optical fiber.

21. The plug of claim 20, wherein the plug member comprises a cylindrical sleeve disposed coaxially with the optical fiber.

22. The plug of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of electrical contact points, each disposed substantially at a terminus of one of a plurality of electrical conductors.

23. The plug of claim 16, further wherein the plug is coupled to an imaging catheter.