Surgical instrument shaft with embedded optical fiber
A surgical instrument shaft is provided that includes a hollow tube formed of a base material and including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface; reinforcing glass material is embedded between the inner surface and outer wall surface; an optical fiber is embedded within the base material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface.
1. A surgical instrument shaft comprising:
a hollow tube including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface comprising: a base material having a reinforcing glass material embedded therein between the inner surface and outer wall surface; and
an optical fiber embedded within the base material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface.
2. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 further including:
a glass tubule embedded within the resin material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
wherein the optical fiber is disposed within the glass tubule.
3. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 further including:
a lubricant material disposed between the optical fiber and the glass tubule.
4. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 further including:
a protective buffer layer about the optical fiber; and
a lubricant material disposed between the protective buffer layer and the glass tubule.
5. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 ,
wherein the base material includes a resin.
6. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 ,
wherein the reinforcing glass material includes reinforcing glass fibers.
7. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 further including:
a plurality of optical fibers embedded within the base material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface.
8. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 further including:
a fiber Bragg grating formed in the optical fiber.
9. The surgical instrument shaft of claim 1 further including:
a plurality of optical fibers embedded within the base material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
a fiber Bragg grating formed in two or more of the optical fibers;
wherein the two or more optical fibers are distributed circumferentially between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface such that when a compressing stress is imparted to fiber Bragg gratings within an optical fiber in one circumferential portion of the hollow tube, a tensile stress is imparted to fiber Bragg gratings within an optical fiber located in a different circumferential portion of the tube wall.
10. The surgical instrument of claim 1 further including:
an optical signal coupler disposed at at least one end of the hollow tube, operatively coupled the end face of optical fiber.
11. A surgical instrument comprising:
a hollow tubular shaft including a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface, and including a base material having reinforcing glass embedded therein between the inner wall surface and outer wall surface; wherein the inner wall surface defines a lumen that extends between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion;
an optical fiber disposed between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface and extending between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion;
an end effector at the distal end portion of the shaft;
a carriage at the proximal end of the shaft; and
a cable ( 508 ) extending within the lumen between the end effector and the carriage.
12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 further including:
a glass tubule embedded within the resin material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
wherein the optical fiber is disposed within the glass tubule.
13. The surgical instrument of claim 11 ,
wherein the base material includes a resin.
14. The surgical instrument of claim 11 ,
wherein the reinforcing glass material includes reinforcing glass fibers.
15. The surgical instrument of claim 11 further including:
a plurality of optical fibers embedded within the base material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface.
16. The surgical instrument of claim 11 further including:
a fiber Bragg grating formed in the optical fiber.
17. The surgical instrument of claim 11 further including:
a plurality of optical fibers embedded within the base material between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
a fiber Bragg grating formed in two or more of the optical fibers;
wherein the two or more optical fibers are distributed circumferentially between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface such that when a compressing stress is imparted to fiber Bragg gratings within an optical fiber in one circumferential portion of the hollow tube, a tensile stress is imparted to fiber Bragg gratings within an optical fiber located in a different circumferential portion of the tube wall.
18. The surgical instrument of claim 11 ,
wherein the optical fiber extends onto the end effector; further including:
a fiber Bragg grating formed in a portion of the optical fiber that extends onto the end effector.
19. The surgical instrument of claim 11 ,
wherein the optical fiber extends onto the end effector;
wherein the end effector includes first and second jaws; further including:
a fiber Bragg grating formed in a portion of the optical fiber that extends onto at least one of the first and second jaws.
20. The surgical instrument of claim 11 further including:
an optical signal coupler disposed at at least one end of the hollow tube, operatively coupled the end face of optical fiber.