Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080221388 | SIDE VIEWING OPTICAL FIBER ENDOSCOPE - An optical fiber conveys light from a source at a proximal end, to a distal end, where a piezoelectric material tube applies a force that causes the distal end of the optical fiber to scan in a desired pattern. Light from the distal end of the optical fiber passes through a lens system and is at least partially reflected by a reflective surface toward a side of the scope, to illuminate tissue within a patient's body. Light received from the internal tissue is reflected back either to collection optical fibers, which convey the light to proximally disposed optical detectors, or directly toward distal optical detectors. The optical detectors produce electrical signals indicative of an intensity of the light that can be used for producing an image of the internal tissue. The light received from the tissue can be either scattered, polarized, fluorescent, or filtered, depending on the illumination light. | 09-11-2008 |
20080243030 | MULTIFUNCTION CANNULA TOOLS - Different exemplary embodiments of cannula tools each perform multiple functions. Each cannula tool is able to dislodge or cut away a biopsy sample from a desired site within a patient's body, and then collect the sample. The cannula tool, which is disposed at the distal end of an elongate flexible tube is guided to the desired site over a guide wire. The cannula tool either abrades cells from adjacent tissue with an abrasive surface, or cuts away a sample of tissue with a sharpened cutting edge or with a loop that is electrically heated or pulled to snare the sample. The biopsy sample is then drawn with a bodily fluid or introduced fluid through an annulus formed between the guide wire and the inner surface of the elongate flexible tube or through a lumen, for collection at the proximal end of the elongate flexible tube. | 10-02-2008 |
20080243031 | CATHETER WITH IMAGING CAPABILITY ACTS AS GUIDEWIRE FOR CANNULA TOOLS - A catheter having an imaging device on its distal end serves as a guidewire for cannula tools, enabling the tools to be advanced to a desired site in a patient's body. One exemplary embodiment of such a catheter is a scanning fiber endoscope. The images facilitate navigation through linked body lumens and also enable an operator to view a site where a biopsy sample is to be taken with a cannula tool. Exemplary cannula tools include bristles or sharp points that scrub cells from adjacent tissue, a biopsy needle that can be thrust into tissue, a loop that cuts away tissue, a cutting edge that slices tissue from a site, and forceps. The sample can be carried by a bodily or introduced fluid to a proximal end of the catheter through an annular gap between the catheter and the cannula tool, or the cannula tool can retain the sample. | 10-02-2008 |
20080249369 | Compact scanning fiber device - Scanning fiber devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a scanning fiber device may include an actuator tube. The scanning fiber device may also include a cantilevered free end portion of an optical fiber. The cantilevered free end portion of the optical fiber may have an attached end that is coupled with the actuator tube. The cantilevered free end portion of the optical fiber may also have a free end to be moved by the actuator tube. At least a portion of a length of the cantilevered free end portion of the optical fiber may be disposed within the actuator tube. Methods of using scanning fiber devices are also disclosed. | 10-09-2008 |
20090024191 | MULTI-CLADDING OPTICAL FIBER SCANNER - A multi-cladding optical fiber includes a core that conveys visible light used by a scanner for imaging a site within a patient's body, and an inner cladding that conveys high-power light, such as infrared light, used for providing therapy to site. The distal end of multi-cladding optical fiber is driven to scan the site when imaging or rendering therapy using an actuator. High-power light is coupled into inner cladding at proximal end of optical fiber using several different techniques. Some techniques use an axicon to direct the high-power light into the inner cladding, while visible light is coupled directly into the core. Another technique uses a multimode optical fiber in a coupling relationship with the multi-cladding optical fiber, to transfer high-power light from a core of the multimode fiber into the inner cladding of the multi-cladding optical fiber. | 01-22-2009 |
20090026888 | Actuating an optical fiber with a piezoelectric actuator and detecting voltages generated by the piezoelectric actuator - A method of one aspect may include actuating a cantilevered optical fiber by mechanically deforming a piezoelectric actuator. An electrical signal generated as a result of mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric actuator may also be detected. | 01-29-2009 |
20090092364 | REDUCING DISTORTION IN SCANNING FIBER DEVICES - Methods of reducing distortion in scanning fiber devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes changing an intensity of light transmitted through a cantilevered optical fiber of a scanning fiber device. The method also includes changing a setpoint temperature for the scanning fiber device based at least in part on the change in the intensity of the light. Other methods, apparatus, systems, and machine-readable mediums are also disclosed. | 04-09-2009 |
20090135280 | ELIMINATING ILLUMINATION CROSSTALK WHILE IMAGING USING MULTIPLE IMAGING DEVICES - A system includes a plurality of scanning devices and light receivers, enabling a plurality of images of a site to be displayed using output signals produced in response to light from the light receivers. To avoid crosstalk caused by light receivers receiving light emitted by a plurality of scanning devices, different wavebands of light can be applied to different scanning devices, the received light can be filtered, or the light can be supplied to one scanning device at a time to multiplex either frame-by-frame, or pixel-by-pixel, or the light supplied to each scanning device can be modulated and the received light demodulated so that an image is produced in response to light from a single scanning device. Expensive components such as laser light sources, optical detectors, a controller, and processor can be shared by multiple imaging devices to minimize the cost of the imaging system. | 05-28-2009 |