MRI-compatible medical device with passive generation of optical sensing signals

An optical sense signal generator for photonic pacemakers and other opto-electric medical stimulation equipment and adapted to operate at the distal end of an implantable photonic catheter having one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of the catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at the catheter distal end, said optical sense signal generator, comprising:

• an optical unit adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator positioned to receive said diverted light output and adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said diverted light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said optical modulator being composed of a crystalline material having electrically controllable optical properties.

An optical sense signal generator for photonic pacemakers and other opto-electric medical stimulation equipment and adapted to operate at the distal end of an implantable photonic catheter having one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of the catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at the catheter distal end, said optical sense signal generator, comprising:

• an optical unit adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator positioned to receive said diverted light output and adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said diverted light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said electrical circuit including means for converting said electrical sense signal from analog to digital form.

A photonic pacemaker having a photonic catheter containing one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of said catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a distal end of said catheter, comprising:

• an optical sense signal generator located at said catheter distal end;
• an optical unit in said sense signal generator adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator in said sense signal generator positioned to receive said diverted light output and adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said diverted light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said optical unit being an optical homogenizer.

A photonic pacemaker having a photonic catheter containing one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of said catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a distal end of said catheter, comprising:

• an optical sense signal generator located at said catheter distal end;
• an optical unit in said sense signal generator adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator in said sense signal generator positioned to receive said diverted light output and adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said diverted light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said optical modulator being composed of a crystalline material having electrically controllable optical properties.

A photonic pacemaker having a photonic catheter containing one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of said catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a distal end of said catheter, comprising:

• an optical sense signal generator located at said catheter distal end;
• an optical unit in said sense signal generator adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator in said sense signal generator positioned to receive said diverted light output and adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said diverted light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said electrical circuit including means for converting said electrical sense signal from analog to digital form.

An opto-electric medical stimulation and sensing system having a photonic catheter containing one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of said catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a distal end of said catheter, comprising:

• an optical sense signal generator located at said catheter distal end;
• an optical unit in said sense signal generator adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator in said sense signal generator positioned to receive said diverted light output and being adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said reflected light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said optical unit being an optical homogenizer.

An opto-electric medical stimulation and sensing system having a photonic catheter containing one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of said catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a distal end of said catheter, comprising:

• an optical sense signal generator located at said catheter distal end;
• an optical unit in said sense signal generator adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an onto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator in said sense signal generator positioned to receive said diverted light output and being adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said reflected light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said optical modulator being composed of a crystalline material having electrically controllable optical properties.

An opto-electric medical stimulation and sensing system having a photonic catheter containing one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of said catheter and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a distal end of said catheter, comprising:

• an optical sense signal generator located at said catheter distal end;
• an optical unit in said sense signal generator adapted to receive a light input delivered from said catheter proximal end by one of said optical conductors and to transmit a first portion of said light input as a transmitted light output to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals while diverting a second portion of said light input as a diverted light output;
• an optical modulator in said sense signal generator positioned to receive said diverted light output and being adapted to modulate said diverted light output under an applied electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit in said sense signal generator, said electrical circuit being connected to an electrical sensing component at said catheter distal end and adapted to generate an electrical sense signal corresponding to a physiological condition to be sensed by said sensing component;
• and
• said electrical circuit being connected to provide said electrical sense signal to said optical modulator in order to modulate said reflected light output into a sensing optical signal;
• said electrical circuit including means for converting said electrical sense signal from analog to digital form.

An optical device adapted to operate at the distal end of a photonic catheter having one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of the photonic catheter and electrical components at the distal end of the photonic catheter, comprising:

• an opto-electrical converter to convert received light into electrical signals;
• an optical unit adapted to receive light delivered from the proximal end of the photonic catheter via an optical conductor;
• said optical unit transmitting a first portion of the received light as transmitted light out to said opto-electrical converter while substantially simultaneously diverting a second portion of the received light;
• an optical modulator positioned to receive the light diverted by said optical unit;
• and
• a sensor, operatively connected to said optical modulator, to generate a physiological sense signal corresponding to a sensed physiological condition;
• said optical modulator modulating the diverted light based upon the physiological sense signal generated by said sensor;
• said optical unit being an optical homogenizer.

An optical device adapted to operate at the distal end of a photonic catheter having one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of the photonic catheter and electrical components at the distal end of the photonic catheter, comprising:

• an opto-electrical converter to convert received light into electrical signals;
• an optical unit adapted to receive light delivered from the proximal end of the photonic catheter via an optical conductor;
• said optical unit transmitting a first portion of the received light as transmitted light out to said opto-electrical converter while substantially simultaneously diverting a second portion of the received light;
• an optical modulator positioned to receive the light diverted by said optical unit;
• and
• a sensor, operatively connected to said optical modulator, to generate a physiological sense signal corresponding to a sensed physiological condition;
• said optical modulator modulating the diverted light based upon the physiological sense signal generated by said sensor;
• said optical modulator being composed of a crystalline material having electrically controllable optical properties.

An optical device adapted to operate at the distal end of a photonic catheter having one or more optical conductors for conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a proximal end of the photonic catheter and electrical components at the distal end of the photonic catheter, comprising:

• an opto-electrical converter to convert received light into electrical signals;
• an optical unit adapted to receive light delivered from the proximal end of the photonic catheter via an optical conductor;
• said optical unit transmitting a first portion of the received light as transmitted light out to said opto-electrical converter while substantially simultaneously diverting a second portion of the received light;
• an optical modulator positioned to receive the light diverted by said optical unit;
• and
• a sensor, operatively connected to said optical modulator, to generate a physiological sense signal corresponding to a sensed physiological condition;
• said optical modulator modulating the diverted light based upon the physiological sense signal generated by said sensor;
• said sensor including means for converting the generated physiological sense signal into a digital signal.