# US 10,244,934 B2 · Atherectomy catheter drive assemblies > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,244,934 B2 - Document ID: US10244934B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/162,391 - Filed: 2016-05-23 - Published: 2016-11-24 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-14 - Assignees: Avinger, Inc. - Applicants: Avinger, Inc. - Inventors: Brian Y. Tachibana; Charles W. McNall; Michael Zung; Peter Howard Smith; Brian Chiu; Douglas Joseph Scott Bourne; Priyanshu Gupta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244934B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/04: combined with photographic or television appliances - A61B 1/00066: {Proximal part of endoscope body, e.g. handles (A61B1/0052 takes precedence)} - A61B 1/00126: {optical, e.g. for light supply cables} - A61B 1/00133: {Drive units for endoscopic tools inserted through or with the endoscope} - A61B 1/0016: {using motor drive units} - A61B 1/00165: {with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics (A61B1/07 takes precedence)} - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - A61B 1/3137: {for examination of the interior of blood vessels} - A61B 5/0066: {Optical coherence imaging} - A61B 17/320758: {with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven (A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A drive assembly for driving an imaging catheter has a rotatable fiber and a rotatable drive shaft. The drive assembly includes a fiber optic rotating junction and a motor configured to rotate the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction. In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a sensor configured to detect a rotational position of the fiber optic rotating junction and a processor configured to obtain the detected rotational position and stop the motor only when the fiber optic rotating junction is in a predetermined rotational position. In some embodiments, the motor includes a hollow shaft through which at least a portion of the fiber optic rotating junction extends. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drive assembly for driving an imaging catheter having a rotatable fiber, the drive assembly comprising: a fiber optic rotating junction having a stationary portion with a stationary fiber therein and a rotatable portion with a rotatable fiber therein; a first optical connector configured to connect the stationary fiber with a light source; a motor configured to simultaneously rotate the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction and a rotatable shaft of the catheter, the motor having a hollow shaft configured to house a portion of the fiber optic rotating junction; and a second optical connector configured to connect the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction with the rotatable fiber of the imaging catheter so as to allow torque to simultaneously be transmitted from the motor to the rotatable shaft and the rotatable fiber of the catheter and so as to allow light to be transmitted from the light source to the rotatable fiber of the catheter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein only the rotatable fiber of the fiber optic junction is housed within the hollow shaft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock a handle of the imaging catheter to the drive assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the stationary and rotatable fibers are configured to transmit an optical coherence tomography signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the second optical connector is an MU adaptor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the stationary fiber is positioned inside the hollow shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the stationary fiber is positioned within a tube inside the hollow shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor does not include gearing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor and a fiber of the fiber optical rotating junction are coaxial. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The drive assembly of claim 1, further comprising an alignment mechanism configured to rotationally align the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction with the rotatable fiber of the imaging catheter. ### Claim 11 A drive assembly for driving an imaging catheter having a rotatable fiber, the drive assembly comprising: a fiber optic rotating junction having a stationary portion with a stationary fiber therein and a rotatable portion with a rotatable fiber therein; a first optical connector configured to connect the stationary fiber with a light source; a motor configured to simultaneously rotate the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction and a rotatable shaft of the catheter, the motor having a shaft that is coaxial with a fiber of the fiber optic rotating junction; and a second optical connector configured to connect the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction with the rotatable fiber of the imaging catheter so as to allow torque to simultaneously be transmitted from the motor to the rotatable shaft and the rotatable fiber of the catheter and so as to allow light to be transmitted from the light source to the rotatable fiber of the catheter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The drive assembly of claim 11, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock a handle of the imaging catheter to the drive assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the stationary and rotatable fibers are configured to transmit an optical coherence tomography signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the second optical connector is an MU adaptor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the motor does not include gearing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the shaft of the motor is hollow and is configured to house a portion of the fiber optic rotating junction therein. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The drive assembly of claim 16, wherein only the rotatable fiber of the fiber optic junction is housed within the hollow shaft. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The drive assembly of claim 16, wherein the stationary fiber is positioned inside the hollow shaft. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The drive assembly of claim 18, wherein the stationary fiber is positioned within a tube inside the hollow shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The drive assembly of claim 11, further comprising an alignment mechanism configured to rotationally align the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction with the rotatable fiber of the imaging catheter.