Integrated fiber for optical shape sensing and spectral tissue sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560423-B2
Application number	US-201917268973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2019
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

An optical apparatus ( 200 ) includes an outer jacket ( 230 ), common cladding ( 220 ), and multiple single mode fiber cores ( 210 ). The common cladding ( 220 ) is within the outer jacket ( 230 ) and is used as multimode fiber such that the outer jacket ( 230 ) clads the common cladding ( 220 ). The single mode fiber cores ( 210 ) are within the common cladding ( 220 ) such that the common cladding ( 220 ) clads the plurality of single mode fiber cores ( 210 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An optical apparatus, comprising:
an outer jacket; common cladding within the outer jacket, said common cladding used as multimode fiber such that the outer jacket clads the common cladding; and a plurality of single mode fiber cores configured to provide optical shape sensing and disposed within the common cladding such that the common cladding clads the plurality of single mode fiber cores.

2 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of single mode fiber cores within the common cladding includes at least two single mode fiber cores with one central core and at least one outer core helically wound around the central core.

3 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each single mode fiber core includes a corresponding Fiber Optic Bragg grating.

4 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a refractive index of the common cladding is higher than a refractive index of the outer jacket.

5 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of single mode fiber cores transmit light used for optical shape sensing, and wherein the common cladding transmits light used for spectral tissue sensing.

6 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first lens that focuses light to the plurality of single mode fiber cores.

7 . The optical apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein the first lens comprises a gradient index lens.

8 . The optical apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a second lens that focuses light to the plurality of single mode fiber cores; and a beamsplitter arranged between the first lens and the second lens to separate first light used for optical shape sensing from second light used for spectral tissue sensing.

9 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an absorbing material applied on an end of the outer jacket, common cladding and plurality of single mode fiber cores, and that substantially captures first light in wavelengths used for optical shape sensing and substantially transmits second light.

10 . The optical apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein the absorbing material is substantially transparent between 400 nm and 1300 nm, and substantially absorbent from 1535 nm to 1555 nm.

11 . An optical system, comprising:
the optical apparatus of claim 1 ; a memory that stores instructions; a processor that executes the instructions; wherein, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the optical system to execute a process comprising: performing spectral tissue sensing based on light that passes through the common cladding.

12 . The optical system of claim 11 ,
wherein each single mode fiber core includes a corresponding Fiber Optic Bragg grating, wherein the plurality of single mode fiber cores transmit light used for optical shape sensing, and wherein the common cladding transmits light used for spectral tissue sensing.

13 . The optical system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first lens that focuses light to the plurality of single mode fiber cores.

14 . The optical system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a second lens that focuses light to the plurality of single mode fiber cores; and a beamsplitter arranged between the first lens and the second lens to separate first light used for optical shape sensing from second light used for spectral tissue sensing.

15 . The optical system of claim 13 , further comprising:
an absorbing material applied on an end of the outer jacket, common cladding and plurality of single mode fiber cores, and that substantially captures first light in wavelengths used for optical shape sensing and substantially transmits second light.

16 . The optical system of claim 15 ,
wherein the absorbing material preferably is substantially transparent between 400 nm and 1300 nm, and substantially absorbent from 1535 nm to 1555 nm.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Hendriks Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus
• 'T Hooft Gert Wim
• Van Der Mark Martinus Bernardus
• Lub Johan
• Bydlon Torre Michelle
• Flexman Molly Lara

Classifications

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/0288

  Multimode fibre, e.g. graded index core for compensating modal dispersion · CPC title

• G02B6/02042 Primary

  Multicore optical fibres · CPC title

• G01M11/31

  with a light emitter and a light receiver being disposed at the same side of a fibre or waveguide end-face, e.g. reflectometers · CPC title

• G01B11/161

  by interferometric means · CPC title