US 11,567,259 B2Granted

Optical fiber ribbon imaging guidewire and methods

AssigneePhyzhon Health Inc.

InventorsDiana Margaret Tasker, Michael J. Eberle, Howard Neil Rourke

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Abstract

An intravascular or other 2D or 3D imaging apparatus can include a minimally-invasive distal imaging guidewire portion. A plurality of thin optical fibers can be circumferentially distributed about a cylindrical guidewire core, such as in an spiral-wound or otherwise attached optical fiber ribbon. A low refractive index coating, high numerical aperture (NA) fiber, or other technique can be used to overcome challenges of using extremely thin optical fibers. Coating and ribbonizing techniques are described. Also described are non-uniform refractive index peak amplitudes or wavelengths techniques for FBG writing, using a depressed index optical cladding, chirping, a self-aligned connector, optical fiber routing and alignment techniques for a system connector, and an adapter for connecting to standard optical fiber coupling connectors.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for imaging a vascular system of a human body, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated intravascular central guidewire core member sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to be inserted into the vascular system, the central guidewire core member having an outer surface;
an optical fiber ribbon, including a plurality of optical fibers extending along the optical fiber ribbon, the optical fiber ribbon affixed to the central guidewire core member, wherein the optical fiber ribbon is wound about a circumference of the outer surface of the central guidewire core member and helically attached to the central guidewire core member, wherein the optical fiber ribbon surrounds the circumference of the central guidewire core member, and
wherein at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is coated with an optical fiber coating having an index of refraction of less than or equal to 1.46;
a first connector, configured to receive the optical fiber ribbon and splay the plurality of optical fibers of the optical fiber ribbon onto a wider pitch than a pitch of the optical fiber ribbon;
and
an adapter configured to interface between the first connector and a second connector, the second connector including optical fibers having a radius exceeding a diameter of the plurality of optical fibers of the first connector.

3 more elements

An apparatus for imaging a vascular system of a human body, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated intravascular central guidewire core member sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to be inserted into the vascular system, the central guidewire core member having an outer surface;
an optical fiber ribbon, including a plurality of optical fibers extending along the optical fiber ribbon, the optical fiber ribbon affixed to the central guidewire core member, wherein the optical fiber ribbon is spiral wound about a circumference of the outer surface of the central guidewire core member and helically attached to the central guidewire core member, wherein the optical fiber ribbon surrounds the circumference of the central guidewire core member, wherein at least one of the optical fibers is coated with an optical fiber coating having an index of refraction of less than or equal to 1.46;
and
a first connector configured to receive the optical fiber ribbon and splay the plurality of optical fibers of the optical fiber ribbon onto a wider pitch than a pitch of the optical fiber ribbon;
and
an adapter configured to interface between the first connector and a second connector, the second connector including optical fibers having a radius exceeding a diameter of the plurality of optical fibers of the first connector.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/210,718Filed 24 Mar 2021 · continuation
Priority: 14 Mar 2013
Published: US 2021/0223470 A122 Jul 2021
Granted: 31 Jan 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G02B 6/06
Formed by bundles of fibres: the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
G01H 9/004
Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by using radiation-sensitive means, e.g. optical means: using fibre optic…
G02B 6/02095
Characterised by the grating profile, e.g. chirped, apodised, tilted, helical: long period gratings, i.e. transmission gratings coupling light…
G02B 6/02395
Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating: glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited…

Family

Application61/783,716Us provisional application · filed 14 Mar 2013
PCT/US2014/024834Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Mar 2014
Application16/204,593Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Nov 2018
Application16/749,078Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Jan 2020
US 2021/0223470 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Jul 2021
US 10,983,270 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,578,798 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/774,654Parent of this continuation
US 10,175,421 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0018593 A1Published application
US 2019/0170935 A1Published application
US 2020/0183083 A1Published application
US 11,567,259 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.