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Publication Number
US-11642169-B2
Publication Date
2023-05-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system includes a laser catheter and a rotating optical member to receive a laser beam along an optical path and rotate to a selected position to redirect the laser beam from the optical path onto one or more selected optical fibers of a laser catheter, wherein a distal end of the laser catheter irradiates an endovascular structure.
Core Innovation
The document describes an endovascular laser catheter system in which a rotating optical member receives a laser beam along an optical path and rotates to redirect the beam, by optical refraction, onto one or more sets of optical fibers of the laser catheter. The distal end of the laser catheter irradiates an endovascular structure, and the redirected laser beam irradiates different sets of optical fibers at different times based on positions of the rotating optical member.
In the disclosed implementation, the optical member comprises a pair of wedge prisms configured as an anamorphic pair of optical members. The wedge prisms are steered by independent rotation of each wedge prism within an area defined by a circle comprising a full angle 4θ, where θ is a deviation from a single prism. A locating-member feedback mechanism supports position monitoring by emitting light onto the locating member, detecting reflected spectra, mapping the spectra against a lookup table indexed by absolute and/or relative position, and generating a locating signal to a motor to rotate at least one wedge prism to a selected angle to redirect the laser beam.
The system includes a microprocessor executable controller that selects at least one set of optical fibers for optical channels based on imaging information, including a current location of a distal tip of the laser catheter. The controller selection is also described as being based on endovascular target information and non-target structures, together with target characterization and distal-tip orientation. The document further states that positioning and selection enable multiplexed fiber activation to irradiate selected subsets while limiting heat/acoustic shock to adjacent tissue and reducing risk of laser induced dissection and perforation.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims. Across these independent claims, the inventive features focus on steering a redirected laser beam using a rotating anamorphic pair of wedge prisms to irradiate different fiber sets at different times, verifying wedge-prism position by locating-member reflected spectra mapped to a lookup table and generating a motor control locating signal, and selecting optical channels/fiber sets based on imaging information including distal tip location, and additionally on fiber active area and distal-tip orientation.
Rotating optical member redirecting beam to selected fiber sets at different times
An optical member configured to receive a laser beam along an optical path and rotate to a selected position to redirect, by optical refraction, the laser beam from the optical path onto one or more sets of optical fibers, wherein a distal end of the laser catheter irradiates an endovascular structure; wherein at a first time and first position the redirected laser beam irradiates a first set but not a second set of optical fibers, and at a second time and second position the redirected laser beam irradiates the second set but not the first set of optical fibers.
Anamorphic pair of wedge prisms with independent rotation steering geometry
The optical member comprises a pair of wedge prisms configured as an anamorphic pair of optical members that enable steering by an independent rotation of each wedge prism of the laser beam in an area defined by a circle comprising a full angle 4θ where θ is a deviation from a single prism.
Locating-member reflected spectra mapped to lookup table for wedge-prism position and motor locating signal
A locating member configured to rotate simultaneously and in amount related to rotation of each wedge prism of the pair of wedge prisms, wherein the detector determine a position of each rotating wedge prism by emitting light onto the locating member, detecting a reflected spectra from the locating member, mapping the reflected spectra against a lookup table that indexes each absolute and/or relative position around the locating member against a corresponding set of reflected spectra, and based on the mapping generating a locating signal to a motor to rotate at least one of the wedge prisms to a selected angle to redirect the laser beam.
Fiber-set selection for optical channels based on distal tip location from imaging information
A microprocessor executable controller operable to select at least one set of optical fibers for optical channels comprising the one or more sets of optical fibers at least based on imaging information including a current location of a distal tip of the laser catheter.
Optical channel selection based on total fiber active area and distal-tip orientation
A microprocessor executable controller operable to select at least one of a fiber active area for each optical channel, a number of optical channels, a configuration of fibers in an optical channel, and an optical channel which is irradiated, based on at least a total fiber active area of the laser catheter and an orientation of the distal tip of the laser catheter.
Overall, the independent claims define a multiplexed endovascular laser catheter system that steers a laser beam onto selected optical fiber sets at different times using an anamorphic pair of independently rotatable wedge prisms. They also require detector-based position determination via reflected spectra mapped to a lookup table and a locating signal to a motor, while the controller selects fiber sets or optical channels based on distal tip location from imaging information and, in the other independent claim, based on total fiber active area and distal-tip orientation.
Stated Advantages
Enable selective targeting of diseased zones while limiting heat/acoustic shock to adjacent tissue.
Reduce risk of laser induced dissection.
Reduce risk of perforation.
Documented Applications
Endovascular laser catheter use in irradiating an endovascular structure using multiplexed fiber activation and optical-channel selection based on imaging information.
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