Oct catheter with low refractive index optical material

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure include apparatuses, systems, and methods for a catheter with a single element for both imaging and interventions. The catheter may have a distal tip which is positionable in a patient (e.g., in a lumen of a vessel). The distal tip may have an optical component which includes both a reflecting surface and a tapered distal end. The reflecting surface may redirect light (e.g., light received along an optical fiber of the catheter) into an imaging beam, which may be directed to a wall of the vessel. The tapered distal end may be a crossing tool used to cross an occluded or partially-occluded section of the vessel. In some embodiments, the reflecting surface and tapered distal end may be the same surface of the optical component. A low refractive index optical filler may be provided to reduce image artifacts at the imaging interface with the patient's fluid and tissue.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.