Catheter-based off-axis optical coherence tomography imaging system

US9125562B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Avinger, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Maegan K. Spencer · La Honda, US
• Christopher B. White · Mesa, US
• Charles W. McNall · Cottonwood Heights, US
• Dennis W. Jackson · San Francisco, US
• Michael Zung · Redwood City, US
• Nicholas J. Spinelli · San Mateo, US
• Benjamin Ngo · San Jose, US
• Evangeline Lumabas · San Jose, US
• Kin F. Chan · San Jose, US
• John Black · San Mateo, US
• Michael H. Rosenthal · Palo Alto, US
• John B. Simpson · Woodside, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 1, 2010
• Grant date: Sep 8, 2015
• Expiry date: Jul 1, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B5/7257
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Catheter-based Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) systems utilizing an optical fiber that is positioned off-axis of the central longitudinal axis of the catheter have many advantage over catheter-based OCT systems, particularly those having centrally-positioned optical fibers or fibers that rotate independently of the elongate body of the catheter. An OCT system having an off-axis optical fiber for visualizing the inside of a body lumen may be rotated with the body of the elongate catheter, relative to a handle portion. The handle may include a fiber management pathway for the optical fiber that permits the off-axis optical fiber to rotate with the catheter body relative to the handle. The system may also include optical processing elements adapted to prepare and process the OCT image collected by the off-axis catheter systems described herein.