Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Fujikura Limited

Anna Hendrika Van Dusschoten

Gert Wim 't Hooft

Jeroen Jan Lambertus Horikx

Eibert Gerjan Van Putten

Martinus Bernardus Van Der Mark

Arjen Van Der Horst

Molly Lara Flexman

Karen Irene Trovato

David Paul Noonan

Bharat Ramachandran

Cornelius Antonius Nicolaas Maria Van Der Vleuten

Shingo Matsushita

Elbert Gerjan Van Putten

Ichii Kentaro

Gert Wim 'T Hooft

Gert Wim T Hooft

The present invention relates to an optical fiber sensor for shape sensing, comprising an optical fiber having embedded therein a number of at least four fiber cores (to) arranged at a distance from a longitudinal center axis () of the optical fiber, the number of fiber cores (to) including a first subset of at least two fiber cores () and a second subset of at least two fiber cores (), the fiber cores () of the second subset being arranged to provide a redundancy in a shape sensing measurement of the fiber sensor ('). The fiber cores () of the first subset are distributed in azimuthal direction around the center axis () with respect to one another, and each fiber core () of the second subset is arranged in non-equidistantly fashion in azimuthal direction around the center axis () with respect to two neighboring fiber cores () of the first subset.

Optical fiber sensor for shape sensing, optical shape sensing device, system and method

The invention relates to a system for determining blood flow within a blood vessel (). A fluid infusion unit () continuously infuses a fluid into the blood vessel, and a temperature values determining unit () determines simultaneously a first temperature value at a first location and a second temperature value at a second location such that the first temperature value is indicative of the temperature of the fluid and the second temperature value is indicative of the temperature of a mixture of the fluid and the blood. The blood flow is determined based on the measured first and second temperature values and the infusion rate. This kind of determining the blood flow leads to an increased accuracy and is less cumbersome than known techniques requiring a movement of a temperature sensor for measuring temperatures at different locations.

System for determining blood flow

The present invention relates to an optical fiber sensor, comprising an optical fiber having embedded therein at least one fiber core () extending along a length of the optical fiber, the at least one fiber core having a plurality of single fiber Bragg gratings () arranged in series along the at least one fiber core (), wherein each fiber Bragg grating () has a single reflection spectrum around a single reflection peak wavelength when interrogated with light in an unstrained state of the at least one fiber core (), wherein the reflection peak wavelengths of the single reflection spectra are different from fiber Bragg grating () to fiber Bragg grating () along the at least one fiber core. Also described is an optical system and a method of interrogating an optical fiber sensor.

Optical fiber sensor, optical system and method of optically interrogating an optical fiber sensor

The present invention relates to an optical fiber sensor, comprising an optical fiber having embedded therein at least one fiber core () extending along a length of the optical fiber, the at least one fiber core having a plurality of single fiber Bragg gratings () arranged in series along the at least one fiber core (), wherein each fiber Bragg grating () has a single reflection spectrum around a single reflection peak wavelength when interrogated with light in an untrained state of the at least one fiber core (), wherein the reflection peak wavelengths of the single reflection spectra are different from fiber Bragg grating () to fiber Bragg grating () along the at least one fiber core. Also described is an optical system and a method of interrogating an optical fiber sensor.

The present invention relates to an optical shape sensing system, comprising an optical fiber sensor comprising an optical fiber having embedded therein a number of at least four fiber cores (to) arranged spaced apart from a longitudinal center axis () of the optical fiber, the fiber cores each having a resonance wavelength in response to light introduced into the fiber cores (to) in an unstrained state thereof. The system further comprises an optical interrogation unit () configured to interrogate the fiber cores (to) with light in a scan wavelength range including the resonance wavelengths of the fiber cores in an unstrained state of the fiber cores (to). The scan wavelength range is set such that a center wavelength of the scan wavelength range is decentered with respect to the resonance wavelength of at least one of the fiber cores (to).

Optical shape sensing system and method

An optical fiber (F) having a length defining a longitudinal direction is disclosed. The optical fiber (F) has at least two fiber cores (C, C) extending along the length of the optical fiber (F), and an optical coupling member (OCM) is arranged at a proximal optical fiber end of the optical fiber (F). The coupling member (OCM) has a first distal end face (OF) optically connected to the proximal optical fiber end, and a proximal second end face (IF) spaced apart from the first distal end face (OF) in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber (F), the optical coupling member (OCM) being configured to couple light into each of the fiber cores (C, C, C).

Optical shape sensor, optical shape sensing console and system, and optical shape sensing method

An optical fiber sensor includes an optical fiber. The optical fiber includes a cladding having a cladding refractive index, and a plurality of fiber cores embedded in the cladding and extending along a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. The plurality of fiber cores include a first subset of at least one first fiber core and a second subset of at least one second fiber core. The at least one first fiber core has a first core refractive index different from the cladding refractive index and a first core radius in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The at least one second fiber core has a second core refractive index different from the cladding refractive index and a second core radius transverse to the longitudinal axis. The second core refractive index and the second core radius differ from the first core refractive index and the first core radius such that a temperature sensitivity of the at least one second fiber core differs from the temperature sensitivity of the first fiber core.

Optical fiber sensor

The present invention relates to a method and system of obtaining a twist rate of a twist applied to an optical fiber () about a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber () at least in a part along a length of the optical fiber, the optical fiber () having a center core () extending along the length of the optical fiber () and at least one outer core () helically wound around the center core () with a spin rate. The method comprises acquiring a twist rate phase signal from an optical measurement of strain along the center core () and the at least one outer core () of the optical fiber (), calculating from the twist rate phase signal a noise filtered version of the twist rate phase signal, calculating from the twist rate phase signal a first order term of the twist rate, which is proportional to one of: i) the twist rate phase signal, ii) the noise filtered version of the twist rate phase signal, and calculating a correction term to the twist rate, which is proportional to one of the following: iii) a product of the twist rate phase signal with the noise filtered version of the twist rate phase signal, iv) a square of the noise filtered version of the twist rate phase signal.

Methods and systems for correcting for nonlinear twist response in optical shape sensing with spun multicore fibers

A clamp mechanism for fixation of an optical fiber (OSF) with optical shape sensing properties arranged for Optical Shape Sensing. A fixing element preferably with a circular cross section serves to engage with the optical fiber (OSF), and together with an additional fixing arrangement with a straight longitudinal portion arranged for engaging with the associated optical fiber (OSF), a fixation of a section of the optical fiber (OSF) is provided with the optical fiber (OSF) in a straight position. In some embodiments, the clamp mechanism can be implemented by three straight rods (R, R, R) with circular cross section, e.g. with the same diameter being a factor of such as 6.46 times a diameter of the optical fiber (OSF). Hereby an effective fixation and straightening of the optical fiber (OSF) without disturbing strain can be obtained with a clamp mechanism which is easy to assemble and disassemble in practical applications e.g. when used as a launch fixture, and with the optical fiber (OSF) incorporated in a medical device.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Anna Hendrika Van Dusschoten