System and method for distributed heat flux sensing of body tissue

A system for distributed heat flux sensing of body tissue, the system comprising:

• a flexible elongate device comprising a distributed sensor that provides a plurality of temperature measurements corresponding to a plurality of points in a measurement range, the distributed sensor extending through the measurement range;
• a thermal energy source that applies thermal energy to the body tissue along the measurement range;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• receive the plurality of temperature measurements from the distributed sensor, the plurality of temperature measurements corresponding to the plurality of points;
• determine a location of the plurality of points based on data from the distributed sensor of the flexible elongate device in a known three-dimensional reference frame;
• determine an amount of thermal energy applied by the thermal energy source;
• and
• determine heat flux at each of the plurality of points based on the location of the plurality of points, the plurality of temperature measurements, and a maximum amount of thermal energy applied by the thermal energy source without a corresponding rise in temperature being indicated by the plurality of temperature measurements.