Catheter and a system and a method for locating a catheter in a vessel

A method for locating a catheter in a vessel or lumen of a human or animal subject, the catheter comprising a catheter member and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart electrodes located on the catheter member, the method comprising forming a light accommodating bore extending through at least one of the electrodes, providing an indicating means in the form of a light source to output a detectable light signal through the light accommodating bore of the at least one electrode, placing a portion of the catheter member with the electrodes in the vessel or lumen, placing an imaging device in the body of the subject adjacent the vessel or lumen but exteriorly of the vessel or lumen, causing the light source to output the detectable light signal, and operating the imaging device to capture an image of the vessel or lumen and the detectable light signal for in turn detecting the location of the electrode accommodating the detectable light signal therethrough in the vessel or lumen.

A catheter comprising:

• an elongated catheter member,
• a plurality of spaced apart electrodes located on the catheter member, at least some of the electrodes being adapted for measuring volume and/or transverse cross-sectional area of a vessel or a lumen in which the catheter is located, two of the electrodes being located longitudinally spaced apart from each other on a distal portion of the catheter member and being adapted as stimulating electrodes for receiving a stimulating electrical current, and other ones of the electrodes being located on the catheter member between the stimulating electrodes longitudinally spaced apart from each other and from the stimulating electrodes, and being adapted as sensing electrodes for sensing a voltage developed thereon in response to a stimulating current being applied to the stimulating electrodes when the distal portion of the catheter member is located in a an electrically conductive medium, and
• an indicating means comprising a light source adapted to output a detectable light signal, and a light outputting means provided by a light accommodating bore extending through at least one of the electrodes for accommodating the detectable light signal therethrough for identifying the location of the corresponding electrode.

A catheter comprising:

• an elongated catheter member,
• an indicating means comprising a light source adapted to output a detectable light signal, and
• a plurality of spaced apart electrodes located on the catheter member, each electrode comprising a light outputting means provided by a light accommodating bore extending through the electrode for accommodating the detectable light signal therethrough for identifying the location of the corresponding electrode.