Cardiofocus Corporation

C. R. Bard, Inc.

Rare Earth Medical, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Cytonome/st, LLC

Cytonome, Inc.

Other

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Nomir Medical Technologies, Inc.

Photoglow, Inc.

Rare Earth Medical Lasers, Inc.

Edward L Sinofsky

Norman Erwin Farr

Lincoln S Baxter

John R Gilbert

Manish Deshpande

Jeffrey M Arnold

Gerald Melsky

Christopher L Oskin

Jessica Hixon

Glenn S Baker

Brian M Hanley

Edward I McNamara

Stephen Jack Herman

Brian C MacLean

Laurence A Roth

Stephen W Sagon

Douglas W Dickinson

Jon T McIntyre

James F Crittenden

J Richard Spears

Jacob Y Wong

Eric Bornstein

Barry D Weitzner

William E Wieler

Jesse M Jones

Maria S Wagner

Kenneth J Daignault, Jr

Scott J Solano

Gary L Boseck

Michael Madden

Carl R Turnquist

W Scott Andrus

Brian Maclean

Licoln S Baxter

An optical system for acquiring fast spectra from spatially channel arrays includes a light source for producing a light beam that passes through the microfluidic chip or the channel to be monitored, one or more lenses or optical fibers for capturing the light from the light source after interaction with the particles or chemicals in the microfluidic channels, and one or more detectors. The detectors, which may include light amplifying elements, detect each light signal and transducer the light signal into an electronic signal. The electronic signals, each representing the intensity of an optical signal, pass from each detector to an electronic data acquisition system for analysis. The light amplifying element or elements may comprise an array of phototubes, a multianode phototube, or a multichannel plate based image intensifier coupled to an array of photodiode detectors.

Optical detector for a particle sorting system

An illumination device may include an illumination source including a light source, a single fiber connecting the illumination source to a medical device and being dedicated to the transmission of light energy from the light source, and a numerical aperture adjustment portion located between the single fiber and the medical device. The light source may generate at least one non-white colored laser energy, and the illumination device may convert the at least one non-white colored laser energy into white colored laser energy.

Medical illumination device and related methods

The present teachings relate to an endoscope (and methods of manufacturing the same) having an illumination system that utilizes small diameter fibers for delivering bright, high quality light to a target site. In accordance with one aspect, an endoscope is provided having a phosphor-loaded, light emitting distal tip that can be energized via optical radiation delivered to the light-emitting distal tip via a small-diameter optical fiber (e.g., less than about 100 &#x3bc;m in diameter) that extends through or along the length of the endoscope. The light-emitting distal tip can be energized by short wavelength laser light (e.g., radiation having wavelengths at 445 nm blue or 405 nm violet) coupled to the optical fiber's proximal end so as to deliver light of extremely high quality CRI (e.g., greater than 80, greater than 90, about 95).

Lumen-less illumination system

A method and an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes a reflector and an optical fiber end portion disposed within a capillary for use in side-firing optical fibers. The reflector surface can be coated with a multilayer dielectric coating to increase the amount of side-fired laser energy. An outer member or cap can be used to protect the capillary when being inserted through a catheter or endoscope. The endoscope is then at least partially inserted into a patient's body to provide laser-based medical treatment. Multiple grooves can be defined on an outer surface of the optical fiber buffer layer to increase the surface area and improve the mechanical strength of the coupling between the optical fiber and the capillary. In some embodiments, the outer member or cap can also be coupled to the grooved surface portion of the optical fiber buffer layer.

Side-firing laser fiber with glass fused reflector and capillary and related methods

Guided ablation instruments are disclosed for creating lesions in tissue, especially cardiac tissue for treatment of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. In one aspect of the invention, a percutaneous catheter is disclosed with an endoscope positionable in the instrument's distal end region to obtain an image. The image allows the clinician to determine whether contact has been achieved (or blood has been cleared from an ablative energy transmission path) before ablation begins or while ablation is occurring. In one embodiment, percutaneous ablation catheters are disclosed having at least one central lumen and one or more balloon structures at the distal end region of the instrument. Also disposed in the distal end region are an illuminating light source and an endoscope capable of collecting sufficient light to relay an image to the user. The instruments can further include an ablation element. The ablation element can be a contact ablation element, or a radiant energy emitter, which is preferably independently positionable within the lumen of the instrument and adapted to project ablative energy through a transmissive region of the instrument body (and/or balloon) to a target tissue site proximate to the pulmonary veins. The energy can delivered without the need for contact between the energy emitter and the target tissue so long as a clear transmission pathway is established. The endoscope element of the instrument allows the clinician to determine the position of the instrument and, if radiant energy is to be employed, see if such a pathway is clear. Moreover, because the position of the radiant energy emitter can be varied, endoscopic guidance permits the clinician to select a desired location and dose for the lesion.

Guided cardiac ablation catheters

Systems for visualizing cardiac tissue during an ablation procedure are provided. In general, the systems include an imaging module configured to measure absorbance data at first and second wavelengths wherein the ratio of these absorbance values identifies the nature of the tissue (e.g., lesion, de novo tissue, etc.). The imaging module can also include a video system having at least two chips with corresponding bandpass filters centered at the first and second target wavelengths. The system can also include a processor and/or video monitor for combining the images produced by the various chips, determining treated and non-treated tissue based on the ratio of absorbance values at the target wavelengths, and displaying images of the treatment area. Methods of visualizing cardiac treatment areas during ablation procedures are also provided herein.

System and method for visualizing tissue during ablation procedures

A method and an apparatus according to an embodiment includes a distal end portion of an optical fiber core having a multilayer dielectric coating. For side-firing optical fibers, the coating can be disposed on an angled surface at the core distal end to produce total internal reflection of laser energy at the angled surface. The coating can also be disposed on an outer surface of the distal end portion of the core. The coating and the angled surface can be collectively configured to redirect laser energy in a lateral or side-fired direction. For end-firing optical fibers, the coating can be disposed on an outer surface of the distal end portion of the core. The coating and a perpendicular surface at the core distal end can be collectively configured to direct laser energy in a direction substantially parallel to the distal end portion of the optical fiber.

Dielectric coatings for laser fiber and related methods

An optical delivery apparatus is disclosed including: an optical fiber extending between a distal end having a distal end face and a proximal end having a proximal end face, an optical element positioned to receive the light emitted from the distal end face and direct the light to an illumination region; and a non-metallic housing containing the optical fiber and the optical element and maintaining the relative position of the optical fiber and the optical element.

Therapeutic light delivery apparatus, method, and system

A highly efficient, lightweight solid state lighting panel is disclosed that has multiple LED sources, and emits a substantially uniform light intensity between said sources. The light from these sources is directed towards a highly reflective, diffusive, backing. These LED sources are placed between the reflector and a partially transmissive, partially reflective output coupler to form a cavity. The LEDs, which are mounted to printed circuit boards to form strips, can be either attached to the inner surface of the diffuser with adhesive, or suspended on a thermally dissipative structure within the cavity. By optimizing the reflector to have as high of a reflectance value as possible (&#x3e;95%) along with a output diffuser with about 50% transmission and 50% reflection, one can obtain cavity transmissions higher than 90%. The output from this disclosed design is more pleasant to look at than those with LEDs that directly illuminate the diffuser, causing hotspots.

Lightweight solid state lighting panel

A method and an apparatus according to an embodiment includes a distal end portion of an optical fiber disposed inside a lumen defined along a curved path within a capillary. The distal end surface of the optical fiber can be substantially flush with a portion of an outside surface of the capillary that defines a transmissive portion. The distal end portion of the optical fiber and the curved path can be collectively configured to direct laser energy through the transmissive portion in a lateral or side-fired direction that is offset from a longitudinal axis or centerline of the capillary. In some embodiments, more than one optical fiber can be disposed along the curved path. In other embodiments, more than one curved path can be defined within the capillary such that a distal end portion of an optical fiber can be disposed along each of the curved paths.

Side-firing laser fiber with internal bent fiber and related methods

Growing community of inventors

Dennis, MA, United States of America

Edward L Sinofsky