OCT probe with pivoting fiber
AssigneeNovartis AG
InventorsBarry Lynn Wheatley, Kambiz Parto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An OCT probe for imaging patient tissue may include an actuation system arranged to displace an optical fiber within a cannula. The actuation system may include a driver actuatable to displace a portion of the optical fiber, with the driver acting in an angled direction relative to the axis of the cannula. The actuation system also may include a pivot feature operably engaged with the optical fiber in a manner permitting the optical fiber to pivot on the pivot feature when the driver actuates to displace the portion of the optical fiber.
Claims12
An OCT probe for imaging patient tissue, comprising:
- a cannula having a cannula axis;
- a selectively displaceable light-carrying optical fiber disposed within the cannula and having a distal end, the optical fiber being adapted to emit light from the distal end;
- an actuation system arranged to displace the optical fiber within the cannula, the actuation system comprising:
- a driver actuatable to displace a portion of the optical fiber, the driver acting in an angled direction relative to the cannula axis;
- and
- a pivot feature operably engaged with the optical fiber, the optical fiber pivotable about the pivot feature in response to a displacement of the portion of the optical fiber by the driver;
- and
- a stiffening tube disposed about the optical fiber and separating the optical fiber and the pivot feature, the stiffening tube directly engaging the pivot feature in a pivot relationship,
- wherein the driver is spaced from the pivot feature along the optical fiber by a first distance, and wherein the distal end of the optical fiber is spaced from the pivot feature by a second distance greater than the first distance.
An OCT probe for imaging patient tissue, comprising:
- a cannula adapted to penetrate patient tissue and having a cannula axis;
- a selectively displaceable light-carrying optical fiber disposed within the cannula and having a distal end, the optical fiber adapted to emit light from the distal end;
- and
- an actuation system comprising a driver adapted to displace a portion of a the optical fiber a first distance and to displace the distal end of the optical fiber a second distance greater than the first distance, wherein the actuation system comprises a pivot feature that forms a fulcrum for the optical fiber and wherein the pivot feature is disposed between the driver and the distal end of the optical fiber,
- wherein the driver is spaced from the pivot feature a first distance, and wherein the distal end of the optical fiber is spaced from the pivot feature a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.