Catheter distal force sensor

A force sensor assembly for a percutaneous device, comprising:

• a deformable body including a proximal portion and a distal portion, said proximal portion defining and being concentric about a central axis;
• an image sensing module physically coupled to one of said proximal portion and said distal portion, said image sensing module including a two-dimensional image sensor that defines a detection plane and an array of pixels;
• an emitter assembly physically coupled to another of said distal portion and said proximal portion;
• an optical arrangement coupled to said emitter assembly and configured to receive electromagnetic radiation from said emitter assembly,
• wherein:
• said optical arrangement is configured to form said electromagnetic radiation into a plurality of beams that are subtended by said detection plane of said two-dimensional image sensor to define an irradiation pattern on said two-dimensional image sensor, said irradiation pattern defining a plurality of irradiation spots, each irradiation spot defining a respective irradiation spot centroid;
• said deformable body is configured for a deformation in response to a force applied to said distal portion, said deformation including translation of said distal portion along said central axis in response to an axial component of said force and a rotational deflection of said distal portion away from said central axis in response to a lateral force;
• and
• said irradiation pattern dynamically changes on said detection plane in response to said deformation, the dynamic change in said irradiation pattern being detected by said two-dimensional image sensor.