EP0416931A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Medical applications for an optical device
Assignee: MEDICAL LASER TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
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Filing: 1990-09-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-09-07
Abstract
Abstract An optical device (4) is disclosed which comprises an optical fibre (3) and an isotropic optical radiator emitter/detector (2) located at one end of the fibre (3). The emitter/detector (2) may be inserted into animal tissue (5) in order to irradiate the tissue (5) adjacent to the emitter/detector (2) with optical radiation (71) which is coupled into the optical fibre and emitted by the emitter/detector (2). The device (4) may also be used to detect the fluorescence of a drug present in the tissue (5) in order to determine the activity of the drug. Other applications of the device include measuring optical parameters of animal tissue, for example the optical radiation transmission profile of the tissue.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian Henderson
- 👤 Michael John Colles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 05:16
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/02; G02B5/0273; G02B5/0278; G02B5/0205; G02B5/0236; G02B5/0242; G02B6/00; G02B6/02; A; A61; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/06; A61N5/0601; A61N5/0613; A61N5/062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
41 words
1 Use of an optical device for the treatment of animal tissue (5), comprising inserting the optical device (4) into animal tissue (5) and passing optical radiation along said device, the device emitting the optical radiation (71) to irradiate the tissue.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
1 Use of an optical device for the treatment of animal tissue (5), comprising inserting the optical device (4) into animal tissue (5) and passing optical radiation along said device, the device emitting the optical radiation (71) to irradiate the tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
2 Use of an optical device according to Claim 1, wherein the optical device (4) emits the optical radiation (71) substantially isotropically.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
3 Use of an optical device for determining the activity of a drug during use of the drug in the treatment of animal tissue (5), comprising inserting the optical device (4) into the tissue (5), irradiating the tissue (5) with optical radiation (7) to cause the drug to fluoresce, and detecting the fluorescence produced and wherein the optical device (4) emits the optical radiation (7) which irradiates the tissue and/or detects the fluorescence produced.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
3 Use of an optical device for determining the activity of a drug during use of the drug in the treatment of animal tissue (5), comprising inserting the optical device (4) into the tissue (5), irradiating the tissue (5) with optical radiation (7) to cause the drug to fluoresce, and detecting the fluorescence produced and wherein the optical device (4) emits the optical radiation (7) which irradiates the tissue and/or detects the fluorescence produced.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
4 Use of an optical device, which comprises an optical fibre (101) and an isotropic optical radiation emitter/detector (102) located at one end of the fibre (101), for measuring an optical parameter of animal tissue comprising embedding the emitter/detector (102) in the tissue, supplying optical radiation through the fibre (101) to the emitter/detector (102), the emitter/detector (102) emitting the optical radiation and detecting the intensity of the radiation reflected from the tissue by means of the emitter/detector (102).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
4 Use of an optical device, which comprises an optical fibre (101) and an isotropic optical radiation emitter/detector (102) located at one end of the fibre (101), for measuring an optical parameter of animal tissue comprising embedding the emitter/detector (102) in the tissue, supplying optical radiation through the fibre (101) to the emitter/detector (102), the emitter/detector (102) emitting the optical radiation and detecting the intensity of the radiation reflected from the tissue by means of the emitter/detector (102).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
5 Use of an optical device, which comprises an optical fibre and an isotropic optical radiation detector located at one end of the fibre, for measuring optical radiation absorption versus depth of tissue, comprising irradiating the tissue with optical radiation from an optical radiation emitter and embedding the detector at various separations from the position of the emitter and detecting the intensity of the optical radiation at those separations.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
5 Use of an optical device, which comprises an optical fibre and an isotropic optical radiation detector located at one end of the fibre, for measuring optical radiation absorption versus depth of tissue, comprising irradiating the tissue with optical radiation from an optical radiation emitter and embedding the detector at various separations from the position of the emitter and detecting the intensity of the optical radiation at those separations.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
6 A method of introducing an optical device comprising an optical fibre and an isotropic emitter/detector at one end of the optical fibre into animal tissue the method comprising inserting a hypodermic needle into the tissue, passing the emitter/detector and the fibre through the needle and into the tissue, and removing the needle from the tissue.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
6 A method of introducing an optical device comprising an optical fibre and an isotropic emitter/detector at one end of the optical fibre into animal tissue the method comprising inserting a hypodermic needle into the tissue, passing the emitter/detector and the fibre through the needle and into the tissue, and removing the needle from the tissue.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
7 An optical device comprising an optical fibre (101) wherein the fibre (101) has a number of spaced sequential markings (103, 104) along its length.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
7 An optical device comprising an optical fibre (101) wherein the fibre (101) has a number of spaced sequential markings (103, 104) along its length.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
8 An optical device comprising an optical fibre (101) and an isotropic optical radiation emitter/detector (102) at one end of the optical fibre and wherein a section of the optical fibre (101) adjacent the emitter/detector (102) is clad in a moulded material (105).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
8 An optical device comprising an optical fibre (101) and an isotropic optical radiation emitter/detector (102) at one end of the optical fibre and wherein a section of the optical fibre (101) adjacent the emitter/detector (102) is clad in a moulded material (105).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
9 A method of calibrating an optical device having an optical radiation emitter/detector, the method comprising submerging the emitter/detector in a calibration fluid, passing optical radiation into the emitter/detector and detecting the quantity of radiation reflected by the fluid to obtain a calibration reading.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
9 A method of calibrating an optical device having an optical radiation emitter/detector, the method comprising submerging the emitter/detector in a calibration fluid, passing optical radiation into the emitter/detector and detecting the quantity of radiation reflected by the fluid to obtain a calibration reading.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
57 words
10 A mount for an optical fibre (101) comprising a syringe filter (106), the fibre (101) being passed through the syringe filter (106) and positioned centrally in the syringe filter (106) by a tapered plug (107) having a central bore (108) which receives the fibre (101) when the plug (107) is positioned in the syringe filter (106).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
57 words
10 A mount for an optical fibre (101) comprising a syringe filter (106), the fibre (101) being passed through the syringe filter (106) and positioned centrally in the syringe filter (106) by a tapered plug (107) having a central bore (108) which receives the fibre (101) when the plug (107) is positioned in the syringe filter (106).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
11 An optical fibre probe for detecting arterial plaque (111) comprising an optical fibre (101) and an isotropic optical radiation emitter (102) located at one end of the fibre (101), a length of the fibre adjacent the isotropic emitter (102) being clad in a radiation cured material which is optically transparent in the wavelength range covering the fluorescence from artery plaque (111) and wherein the material forms a detector (105).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
70 words
11 An optical fibre probe for detecting arterial plaque (111) comprising an optical fibre (101) and an isotropic optical radiation emitter (102) located at one end of the fibre (101), a length of the fibre adjacent the isotropic emitter (102) being clad in a radiation cured material which is optically transparent in the wavelength range covering the fluorescence from artery plaque (111) and wherein the material forms a detector (105).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
54 words
12 A method of manufacturing an optical fibre probe comprising placing a plastic sheath over a section of an optical fibre to create an annular gap between the fibre and the sheath, inserting a radiation curable material into the annular gap, passing radiation down the fibre to cure the material, and removing the sheath.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
12 A method of manufacturing an optical fibre probe comprising placing a plastic sheath over a section of an optical fibre to create an annular gap between the fibre and the sheath, inserting a radiation curable material into the annular gap, passing radiation down the fibre to cure the material, and removing the sheath.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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