System and apparatus comprising a multi-sensor catheter for right heart and pulmonary artery catheterization

A multi-sensor catheter for right heart and pulmonary artery catheterization in pediatric or neonatal patients, comprising:

• a length of multi-lumen catheter tubing extending between a proximal end and a distal end, having an outside diameter of ≦3 French, and the distal end comprising an atraumatic tip;
• a plurality of optical sensors and a plurality of optical fibers;
• a sensor end of each optical fiber being attached and optically coupled to an individual one of the plurality of optical sensors;
• each optical sensor and its optical fiber being inserted into a respective lumen of the multi-lumen catheter tubing, the sensors being spaced apart lengthwise to provide a sensor arrangement with said plurality of optical sensors positioned at respective sensor locations spaced apart lengthwise within a distal end portion of the catheter tubing;
• a proximal end of each of the plurality of optical fibers being coupled to an optical input/output connector at the proximal end of the guidewire for connection to an optical control system;
• and
• the plurality of optical sensors of the sensor arrangement comprising at least two optical pressure sensors at respective sensor locations spaced apart lengthwise along said length of said distal end portion, with an aperture in the catheter tubing adjacent each optical pressure sensor for fluid contact;
• and
• wherein the pressure sensor locations and spacings are configured to measure concurrent pressure waveforms for at least two locations within the right heart and pulmonary artery comprising a right atrial pressure waveform, a right ventricular waveform, and a pulmonary artery waveform, a pulmonary capillary wedge position waveform, to provide concurrent blood pressure measurements at each optical pressure sensor location.

A control system for multi-sensor catheters or multi-sensor guidewires comprising a plurality of optical pressure sensors for measuring blood pressure concurrently at each optical pressure sensor location, comprising:

• a light source and detector, and an optical interface for coupling, via respective input/output ports, to each of the optical fibers and optical sensors of the multi-sensor catheter or multi-sensor guidewire;
• data storage and processing means configured for processing optical data indicative of pressure values;
• and
• wherein the processing means is further configured for graphically displaying pressure data comprising a plurality of concurrent blood pressure waveforms derived from each of the plurality of pressure sensors.