Laser catheter with use of reflected light and force indication to determine material type in vascular system

A method for determining a type of a material in a region within a vascular system of a patient, the method comprising:

• supply light from a light source to a contact region within a vascular system of a patient;
• and
• receive light reflected from the contact region within the vascular system of the patient, wherein the light reflected from the contact region is received from at least one return fiber disposed at the tip of a laser catheter, wherein the light reflected from the contact region is indicative of diffuse absorbance and transmittance characteristics of the contact region within the vascular system of the patient;
• determining diffuse absorbance and transmittance characteristics of the contact region within the vascular system of the patient by separating the light reflected from the contact region into a plurality of channels and determining an intensity value for each plurality of channels;
• receiving, from at least one force sensor, at least one indication of a force applied by one or more of at least one optical fiber of a laser catheter to material in a contact region within a vascular system of a patient;
• determining, based on a waveform, a type of the material in the contact region, wherein the waveform represents the diffuse absorbance and transmittance characteristics for each plurality of channels for the least one indication of force;
• and
• determining, based on the at least one indication of force and the waveform, a confidence value indicative of a likelihood of whether the type of the material in the contact region is correct.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

• supply light from a light source to a contact region within a vascular system of a patient;
• and
• receive light reflected from the contact region within the vascular system of the patient, wherein the light reflected from the contact region is received from at least one return fiber disposed at the tip of a laser catheter, wherein the light reflected from the contact region is indicative of diffuse absorbance and transmittance characteristics of the contact region within the vascular system of the patient;
• determining diffuse absorbance and transmittance characteristics of the contact region within the vascular system of the patient by separating the light reflected from the contact region into a plurality of channels and determining an intensity value for each plurality of channels;
• receive, from at least one force sensor, at least one indication of a force applied by one or more of at least one optical fiber of a laser catheter to material in a contact region within a vascular system of a patient;
• determine, based on a waveform, a type of the material in the contact region, the waveform represents the diffuse absorbance and transmittance characteristics for each plurality of channels for the least one indication of force;
• and
• determine, based on the at least one indication of force and the waveform, a confidence value indicative of a likelihood of whether the type of the material in the contact region is correct.