Multi-channel catheter tip
View Patent ↗A tip assembly for a catheter includes a housing having a recess that receives an optical bench. The optical bench accommodates adjacent fibers, one of which is in optical communication with a first beam re-director. The first beam re-director is oriented to cause a beam incident thereon to travel in a direction away from the optical bench. An engaging structure coupled to the optical bench provides torque coupling between the housing and an end of a torque cable extending axially along the catheter.
1. A catheter tip assembly comprising:
an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and
a housing having a recess for receiving the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.
2. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first beam redirector is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a diffraction grating, and a prism.
3. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an optical fiber seated in the optical bench.
4. The catheter tip assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first beam re-director comprises a distal end of the optical fiber.
5. The catheter tip assembly of claim 4 , wherein the distal end of the optical fiber comprises a diagonal face oriented to direct a beam traveling through the fiber in a direction away from the fiber.
6. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a lens assembly disposed to provide optical communication between the first fiber and the first beam re-director.
7. The catheter tip assembly of claim 6 , wherein the lens assembly comprises a GRIN lens.
8. The catheter tip assembly of claim 3 , wherein the optical fiber comprises a lens integral with a distal end thereof.
9. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first beam re-director is oriented to cause a beam to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
10. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause the first and second beams to travel in different directions.
11. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an annular coupling mount disposed between the torque cable and the housing, the annular coupling mount having a first face coupled to the torque cable and a second face for engaging the housing.
12. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11 , wherein the housing comprises a proximally extending stem for inserting into an aperture in the annular coupling mount.
13. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11 , wherein the housing comprises a tab extending proximally from a periphery thereof, and the annular coupling mount comprises a distal face having walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.
14. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11 , wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a tab extending distally from a periphery thereof, and the housing comprises walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.
15. The catheter tip assembly of claim 11 , wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a hook extending proximally into a recess in the housing.
16. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical bench is manufactured by a process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, etching, micro-machining, silicon optical bench fabrication techniques, and photolithography.
17. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a radio-opaque marker fixed to the housing.
18. The catheter tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause parallel first and second beams to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical bench.
19. A catheter tip assembly comprising:
an optical bench having a recess extending along a longitudinal axis thereof, the recess having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fixed fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with corresponding first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause a pair of non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and
an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the optical bench and the torque cable.
20. The catheter tip assembly of claim 19 , further comprising a housing, wherein the housing and the optical bench define a single unitary structure.
21. A catheter comprising:
a rotatable torque cable;
first and second optical fibers extending through the torque cable;
a catheter tip assembly having;
an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and
a housing having a recess for receiving the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.
22. The catheter of claim 21 , wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause parallel first and second beams to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical bench.
23. The catheter of claim 21 , wherein the first beam re-director is oriented to cause a beam to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
24. The catheter of claim 21 , wherein the first and second beam re-directors are oriented to cause the first and second beams to travel in different directions.
25. The catheter of claim 21 , further comprising an annular coupling mount disposed between the torque cable and the housing, the annular coupling mount having a first face coupled to the torque cable and a second face for engaging the housing.
26. The catheter of claim 25 , wherein the housing comprises a proximally extending stem for inserting into an aperture in the annular coupling mount.
27. The catheter of claim 25 , wherein the housing comprises a tab extending proximally from a periphery thereof, and the annular coupling mount comprises a distal face having walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.
28. The catheter of claim 25 , wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a tab extending distally from a periphery thereof, and the housing comprises walls forming a slot for receiving the tab.
29. The catheter of claim 25 , wherein the annular coupling mount comprises a hook extending proximally into a recess in the housing.
30. A catheter tip assembly comprising:
an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and
a housing integral with the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.
31. A catheter comprising:
a rotatable torque cable;
first and second optical fibers extending through the torque cable;
a catheter tip assembly having
an optical bench extending along a longitudinal axis and having a transverse dimension selected to receive adjacent first and second fibers, the optical bench having first and second fixed beam re-directors in optical communication with respective first and second fibers, the first and second beam re-directors being oriented to cause respective first and second non-intersecting beams to travel away from the optical bench; and
a housing integral with the optical bench and an engaging structure for coupling to an end of a torque cable extending axially along a catheter, to provide a torque coupling between the housing and the torque cable.