Fiber optic catheter system with fluorometric sensor and integral flexure compensation
US5012809A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 10, 1986 |
| Grant date | May 7, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 10, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/7786
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sensor for measuring fluid concentrations or the temperature of body. A fiber-optic catheter having a fluorometric sensor attached at a distal end is excited by a light source outside the body. The sensor fluoresces with an intensity or with a lifetime related to the concentration of the fluid or the temperature. The catheter has one light pipe for exciting the sensor and a second light pipe for generating a reference signal to calibrate signals from the fluorometric sensor. One embodiment has two sensors that fluoresce with different intensities and lifetimes to simultaneously give information about both the temperature and the fluid concentration.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.