Infraredx, Inc.

Cornova, Inc.

S Eric Ryan

Jing Tang

Guillermo J Tearney

Brett Eugene Bouma

Simon M Furnish

Andres Zuluaga

Thilo U Fliedner

Richard Sahagian

Matthew Flinders

Mark A Griffin

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing a fluid and reduced-toxicity optical media with optical analysis and therapeutic energy delivery. An aspect of the invention provides an aqueous solution of increased-salinity of between about 1% and 35%. An increasing salinity in accordance with the invention provides improved transmissive efficiency at many wavelengths and less toxicity than many existing systems and methods. A catheter having integrated fibers for probing or treating internal lumens or other tissues can include a liquid-inflatable balloon or flushing mechanism using the solution for displacing blood or other obstructions in an optical path between the fiber and targeted tissue. Methods including spectroscopy can be employed with the solution for diagnosing medical conditions associated with diseased vessels or other tissues while reducing the risk of permanent damage resulting from the diagnosis. Additional applications include the deliver of therapeutic radiation externally and internally to tissues through h the solution media.

Fluid media for bio-sensitive applications

An apparatus includes a feedback loop for controlling an extent of a gap between a wall of a balloon mounted on a catheter and a wall of a lumen into which the catheter is inserted. The apparatus includes a radiation detector mounted within the balloon for generating a feedback signal having information indicative of whether the extent of the gap is greater than or less than a desired value. The feedback loop receives the feedback signal and controls a size of the balloon to cause the extent of the gap to approach the desired value.

Balloon catheter

First and second optical-redirectors mounted on a catheter couple radiation to a target along separate first and second paths. Either the first or second optical-redirectors, or both, can include a steering mechanism for selecting the first and/or second path.

Multi-path optical catheter

A catheter based optical system for generating data as to the condition of a tissue sample of a mammalian vessel. The system includes an elongated catheter shaft having a tissue engaging distal end and a coupled proximal end and an elongated optical delivery fiber arrangement disposed through a lumen of said catheter, said optical delivery fiber arrangement having a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end of the delivery fiber arrangement has a re-director light emitter thereon for directing light against mammalian tissues. An elongated optical collection fiber arrangement is disposed through a lumen of the catheter, the optical collection fiber arrangement having a distal end and a proximal most end. The distal end of the collection fiber arrangement has a re-director light receiver thereon for receiving light reflected from the mammalian tissue by the light emitter. The light emitter and the light receiver are longitudinally spaced apart from one another in the distal end of the catheter. The catheter apparatus includes a light source in communication with the delivery fiber and a signal detector in communication with the receiving fiber for receiving and presenting data collected.

Apparatus and method for the optical imaging of tissue samples

The invention provides methods and apparatus to reference or normalize optical measurements, by removing or accounting for background factors and artifacts, such as motion artifacts, that arise during use of optical catheters.

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Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

S Eric Ryan