US 5,573,531 AGranted

Fluid core laser angioscope

OwnerKenton W. Gregoryinventor

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Abstract

A liquid core laser optical scope for illuminating, viewing, and delivering laser energy to a site in a lumen of an animal or human body which includes a flexible tube for insertion into the lumen, a conduit housed within the tube, a fluid source for coupling a flow of light transmissive liquid into the conduit, a light source for transmitting visible light through the tube to illuminate the site, an optical fiber bundle having an optical receiving end disposed at the distal end of the optical scope for imaging the illuminated site and transmitting a visible image thereof through the optical scope to an external viewing port, and a fluid core light guide for transmitting laser energy from an energy source into the conduit where the conduit has a sidewall capable of internally reflecting light into the liquid in the conduit so that the liquid waveguides the laser energy through the conduit to the site. The fluid core light guide serves not only to couple laser energy to the site in the lumen but to transmit illumination light to the site and reflected images back to the viewing port.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A liquid core laser optical scope for illuminating, viewing, and delivering laser energy to a site in a lumen of an animal or human body, the liquid core laser optical scope comprising:

a flexible tube having a distal end for insertion into the lumen;
a conduit housed within the tube;
means for coupling a flow of light transmissive liquid from an external source into the conduit for discharge from the conduit into the lumen at the distal end of the tube;
means defining a first light path through the tube for transmitting visible light from an external source through the tube to the distal end to illuminate the site in the lumen through the light transmissive fluid discharged into the lumen at the distal end of the tube;
means, disposed in the distal end of the tube, for imaging the illuminated site using light reflected back through the light transmissive fluid from the site in the lumen, and means defining a second light path through the tube and coupled to the imaging means for transmitting a visible image of the illuminated site from the site back through the tube to an external viewing port;
and
means defining a third light path for transmitting laser energy from an energy source into the conduit, the conduit having a sidewall capable of internally reflecting light into the liquid in the conduit so that the liquid waveguides the laser energy through the distal end of the conduit to the site
the flow of light transmissive liquid discharging from the distal end of the tube to displace body fluids from the site and serve as an extension of said first, second and third light paths beyond said distal end to enable simultaneous optical illumination and imaging and laser energy irradiation of the illuminated site through a single temporary liquid core, liquid clad light channel with the distal end located at a position in the lumen spaced from the site.

5 more elements

A liquid core laser optical scope for illuminating, viewing, and delivering laser energy to a site in a lumen of a blood vessel of animal or human body while flushing blood away from the site to allow ease of angioscopic viewing, the liquid core laser optical scope comprising:

a flexible tube having a proximal end and a distal end sized for insertion into the lumen;
an external source of light transmissive liquid;
a first conduit and a second conduit housed within the tube;
means for coupling a flow of light transmissive liquid from the liquid source into a proximal end of the first conduit for discharge from the distal end thereof;
an external source of visible light;
means for coupling and transmitting visible light from the light source through the tube via one of the first and second conduits to the distal end thereof to illuminate the site;
means for forming an optical image of the illuminated site disposed at the distal end of the tube;
means for transmitting the optical image to the proximal end of the tube via the second conduit;
means for coupling the transmitted image to a viewing apparatus, disposed at the proximal end of the scope;
an external source of laser energy;
means disposed at the proximal end of the first conduit for coupling laser energy from the energy source into the first conduit, the first conduit having a sidewall capable of internally reflecting light into the liquid in the conduit so that a liquid waveguide transmits the laser energy through the first conduit distal end to the site;
and
means for excluding the laser energy from the optical image transmitted to the proximal end of the scope;
the flow of light transmissive liquid discharging in a single stream from the distal end of the tube to displace body fluids from the site and serve as a temporary liquid core, light clad light channel for transmitting the visible light and laser energy to the site from said distal end at a distance spaced from the site and the visible image from the site.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/262,926Filed 20 Jun 1994
Granted: 12 Nov 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A61B 18/24
The beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor: with a catheter
A61B 90/361
Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for: image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
A61B 90/37
Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for: surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
A61B 2017/003
Mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means: steerable