Optical sensing - enabled interventional instruments for rapid distributed measurements of biophysical parameters

Abstract

An interventional instrument, system and method include an elongated flexible member (100) having one or more segmented sections (101) disposed longitudinally. An optical fiber (104) is disposed internally in the flexible member. A plurality of optical sensors (102) are coupled to the optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member such that the optical sensors are positioned to monitor parameters simultaneously at different positions or at different data sources along the flexible member to provide distributed sensing.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to medical devices, and more particularly to medical devices employing fiber optic technology for multi-parameter measurement and monitoring. Background technique [0002] Traditional instruments typically measure only one physical parameter. Examples include pressure / flow wires for hemodynamic monitoring at the tip site, cardiac mapping electrodes for voltage measurements at discrete electrode sites, and ablation catheters allowing tissue temperature and impedance measurements at the tip. Spatial tracking via impedance measurements or electromagnetic (EM) sensing can be incorporated in these devices to facilitate navigation; however, tracking measurements are typically tip-focused and sensitive to environmental heterogeneity or temporal changes in underlying impedance / EM properties. Additionally, tracking coils are difficult to miniaturize in the submillimeter range while maintaining signal-to-noise ratio and other perf...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Coils and cables are often of a size that prevents them from tracking multiple points along the catheter body

Also, the noise of the RF generator during ablation hinders the ability to precisely track the coil using MR

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