Fiber optic catheter for accurate flow measurements
US6166806A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 28, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 26, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 28, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/58
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A two-fibre optic probe or sensor performs accurate measurements of fluids flowing within a remote vessels, such as blood flowing within arteries or veins or fluid flowing within pipes. One of the fibre transmits a light that is intercepted by a reflective surface. The reflective surface reflects the light out of the probe through an optically transparent window, located in the probe, and into the volume of the fluid. A portion of the emitted light scatters back, as backscatter, through the optical window into the probe where the light once again encounters the reflective surface. The reflective surface then directs the backscattered light directly into the terminal ends of the other fibre that receives the light. The detected light is used to measure the volume of the fluid at the area where the incident beam of the emitted light and the backscattered light overlaps.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.