Conductor incorporated fiber enabled medical systems
Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a fiber-optically enabled medical device system including an optical fiber and one or more conductive elements. The optical fiber is configured to determine a shape of the medical device as the device negotiates tortuous vascular pathways. The one or more conductive elements can be configured to transmit electrical signals there along between the distal tip and a console coupled to a proximal end of the medical device. The electrical signals can determine a location of a tip of the medical device, detect an electrophysiological signal at a distal tip, and/or provide electro-stimulation or ablation energy to the distal tip of the medical device. The one or more conductive elements can be a wire extending linearly or helically about the optical fiber, or can be a tube, or tube section, extending annularly about the optical fiber, or combinations thereof.
1 . A fiber-optically enabled medical system, comprising:
an elongate medical device extending longitudinally and formed of a first flexible material, comprising:
an optical fiber having one or more core fibers extending through a cladding layer;
a first conductive element extending parallel to a central longitudinal axis and configured to conduct a first electrical signal for determining a location of a distal tip of the elongate medical device by one or both of a tip location/navigation system (TLS) modality and an ECG modality;
a second conductive element extending parallel to the central longitudinal axis and configured to conduct a second electrical signal, different from the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal including one of an electrophysiological signal or an electrostimulation signal; and
an insulating layer formed of a second flexible material and disposed between the first conductive element and the second conductive element.
2 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductive element is a first tube extending annularly about the central longitudinal axis and the second conductive element is a second tube extending annularly about the central longitudinal axis.
3 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 2 , wherein the first tube is disposed at a first radius from the central longitudinal axis, and the second tube disposed at a second radius from the central longitudinal axis, the second radius being different from the first radius.
4 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 3 , further including a second insulating layer disposed between the first tube and the second tube.
5 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 1 , further including a sensor disposed at the distal tip of the elongate medical device and a console coupled to a proximal end of the elongate medical device, one or both of the first conductive element and the second conductive element providing an electrical pathway between the sensor and the console.
6 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect one of a temperature, a pressure, a blood pressure, an oxygen saturation, electro-optical signals, electrical impedance signals, or electrical conductance signals.
7 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first conductive element and the second conductive element is configured to transmit one of an electro-stimulation signal energy or an ablation signal energy from a console coupled to a proximal end of the elongate medical device to the distal tip of the elongate medical device.
8 . The fiber-optically enabled medical system according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate medical device includes one of a stylet, a trocar, a guidewire, or a catheter.