Optical shape sensing system and method for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device using backscatter reflectometry

A method for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device using backscatter reflectometry, comprising:

• generating input light of multiple wavelengths of a broadband spectrum,
• performing backscatter reflectometry separately with a corresponding one of a plurality of input light beams divided from the input light using an interferometer arrangement comprising a plurality of interferometers including a multi-core optical fiber, the multi-core optical fiber comprising at least two fiber cores, wherein the backscatter reflectometry comprises:
• dividing the corresponding input light beam into a reference beam and a device beam,
• using an additional optical fiber to guide the reference beam,
• using a corresponding fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber to guide the device beam to be reflected within the medical device and to guide the reflected device beam, and
• coupling the reflected device beam with the reference beam to form an output light beam,
• the method further comprising
• receiving and dispersing the output light beam and detecting the output light beam from each of the plurality of interferometers in a spectrometer.

Non-transient computer program product having encoded thereon a computer program for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device, the computer program comprising program code means for causing an optical shape sensing system carry out the steps of

• generating input light of multiple wavelengths of a broadband spectrum,
• performing backscatter reflectometry separately with a corresponding one of a plurality of input light beams divided from the input light using an interferometer arrangement comprising a plurality of interferometers including a multi-core optical fiber, the multi-core optical fiber comprising at least two fiber cores, wherein the backscatter reflectometry comprises:
• dividing the corresponding input light beam into a reference beam and a device beam,
• using an additional optical fiber to guide the reference beam,
• using a corresponding fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber to guide the device beam to be reflected within the medical device and to guide the reflected device beam, and
• coupling the reflected device beam with the reference beam to form an output light beam, and
• receiving and dispersing the output light beam and detecting the output light beam from each of the plurality of interferometers in a spectrometer.