Abstract: A method for making a housing that defines a cavity for a pressure sensor, the method comprising: providing a bulk of material that will form the housing; focusing a radiation beam on internal portions of the bulk of material so as to modify the internal portions, thereby defining the housing's shape, wherein upstream of the focus of the radiation beam other portions of the bulk material remain unmodified; and discarding either the modified portions or the unmodified portions of the bulk material so as to form the cavity.

Abstract: A sensor is provided for measuring a flow of a fluid in a physiological environment, such as within a vessel of a human or animal subject. The sensor comprises an interrogation light guide extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the sensor. The interrogation light guide is configured to transmit interrogation light to, and receive reflected interrogation light from, the distal end of the sensor. The sensor further comprises an excitation light guide configured to transmit excitation light to the distal end of the sensor. The excitation light is provided for heating the fluid (directly or indirectly). The sensor further comprises a sensing element located at the distal end of the sensor. The sensing element comprises at least two etalons for reflecting interrogation light back along the interrogation light guide towards the proximal end of the sensor. Each etalon has a respective optical path length and further has at least one reflective surface external to the interrogation light guide.

Abstract: A method for making a housing that defines a cavity for a pressure sensor, the method comprising: providing a bulk of material that will form the housing; focusing a radiation beam on internal portions of the bulk of material so as to modify the internal portions, thereby defining the housing's shape, wherein upstream of the focus of the radiation beam other portions of the bulk material remain unmodified; and discarding either the modified portions or the unmodified portions of the bulk material so as to form the cavity.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe comprises an optical light guide comprising a multi-mode optical waveguide for transmitting excitation light and a single-mode optical waveguide for transmitting interrogation light. The probe further comprises an ultrasound transmitter located at a distal end of the probe, the ultrasound transmitter comprising an optically absorbing material for absorbing the excitation light from the multi-mode optical waveguide to generate an ultrasound beam via the photoacoustic effect. The probe further comprises an ultrasound receiver including an optical cavity external to the single-mode optical waveguide. The interrogation light from the single-mode optical waveguide is provided to the ultrasound receiver. The optical cavity has a reflectivity that is modulated by impinging ultrasound waves. The interrogation light is reflected from the optical cavity to a proximal end of the single-mode optical waveguide where it can be received for generating a signal.

Abstract: Needle interventions are widely used in the field of oncology for taking biopsies of tissue in order to inspect whether tissue is cancerous or not. To make these interventions more reliable feedback of what kind of tissue is in front of the needle is required. A way to achieve this is by making use of optical spectroscopy. This requires integration of fibers into the needle. These fibers are used to deliver light to illuminate the tissue in front of the needle and to collect back the reflected light from the tissue. The present invention proposes to integrate the fiber distal ends in the slanted bevel of the needle in such a way that at least one source-detector fiber pair has a distance that is larger than the outer diameter of the needle.

Abstract: A sensor is provided for measuring a flow of a fluid in a physiological environment, such as within a vessel of a human or animal subject. The sensor comprises an interrogation light guide extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the sensor. The interrogation light guide is configured to transmit interrogation light to, and receive reflected interrogation light from, the distal end of the sensor. The sensor further comprises an excitation light guide configured to transmit excitation light to the distal end of the sensor. The excitation light is provided for heating the fluid (directly or indirectly). The sensor further comprises a sensing element located at the distal end of the sensor. The sensing element comprises at least two etalons for reflecting interrogation light back along the interrogation light guide towards the proximal end of the sensor. Each etalon has a respective optical path length and further has at least one reflective surface external to the interrogation light guide.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft provided with at least one piece of aeronautic equipment fastened to the outside skin of the aircraft and a heater for heating the piece of aeronautic equipment. The heater is in the form of a thermodynamic closed circuit loop circulating heat-transfer fluid and including an evaporator and a heat source located inside the aircraft and a condenser located in the piece of aeronautic equipment or an appendage thereto. Fasteners in the form of tubular tabs include tubular channels for circulating the heat-transfer fluid.

Abstract: A system and method for mapping interluminal structures includes an elongated flexible instrument (102). An optical shape sensing device (152, 154) is disposed within the flexible instrument and is configured to determine a shape of the flexible instrument relative to a reference. The shape sensing device is configured to collect information based on its configuration to map an interluminal structure during a procedure. An imaging enabled ablation device (117) is mounted at or near a distal end portion of the flexible instrument.

Abstract: An ultrasound system comprises an ultrasound unit including: an ultrasound probe including a first set of imaging transducer elements and a second set of localisation transducer elements. The first set of imaging transducer elements are configured to: (i) produce ultrasound imaging transmissions into the human body, wherein the ultrasound imaging transmissions are focussed into an image scan plane, and (ii) receive reflections of the ultrasound imaging transmissions for generating a two-dimensional anatomical image corresponding to the image scan plane. The second set of localisation transducer elements are configured to produce ultrasound localisation transmissions into the human body for locating the medical instrument with respect to the anatomical image, wherein the ultrasound localisation transmissions extend outside the image scan plane.

Abstract: A piece of aeronautic equipment intended to equip an aircraft, the equipment piece (25) including at least one part intended to be arranged at a skin (27) outside of the aircraft and heating elements for that part, which include a thermodynamic loop including a closed circuit in which a heat transfer fluid circulates, the closed circuit including an evaporator and a zone in which condensation of the heat transfer fluid can occur in the appendage to heat it, outside the evaporator, the circuit in which the fluid circulates is formed by a tubular channel with an empty section, at least the part of the piece of equipment arranged outside the aircraft is made by additive manufacturing and includes a fastening base (120) for fastening on the skin of the aircraft from which support elements (130) for a Pitot tube (140) provided with lateral static pressure taps (150) extend.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft provided with at least one piece of aeronautic equipment (100), the equipment comprising at least one part intended to be arranged at a skin (27) of the aircraft, and means for fastening on said skin outside the aircraft and means for heating the part, characterized in that the fastening means comprise means in the form of tubular tabs (101, 102), in that the heating means comprise a thermodynamic loop comprising a closed circuit in which a heat transfer fluid circulates, the closed circuit comprising an evaporator associated with means forming a heat source arranged inside the aircraft and a zone in which a condensation of the heat transfer fluid can occur in the appendage to heat it, and in that outside the evaporator, the circuit in which the fluid circulates is formed by a tubular channel with an empty section, at least partially formed in the tubular tabs (101, 102) of the fastening means.

Abstract: A piece of aeronautic equipment intended to equip an aircraft, the equipment piece (25) including at least one part intended to be arranged at a skin (27) outside of the aircraft and heating elements for that part, which include a thermodynamic loop including a closed circuit in which a heat transfer fluid circulates, the closed circuit including an evaporator and a zone in which condensation of the heat transfer fluid can occur in the appendage to heat it, outside the evaporator, the circuit in which the fluid circulates is formed by a tubular channel with an empty section, at least the part of the piece of equipment arranged outside the aircraft is made by additive manufacturing and includes a fastening base (120) for fastening on the skin of the aircraft from which support elements (130) for a Pitot tube (140) provided with lateral static pressure taps (150) extend.

Abstract: Needle interventions are widely used in the field of oncology for taking biopsies of tissue in order to inspect whether tissue is cancerous or not. To make these interventions more reliable feedback of what kind of tissue is in front of the needle is required. A way to achieve this is by making use of optical spectroscopy. This requires integration of fibers into the needle. These fibers are used to deliver light to illuminate the tissue in front of the needle and to collect back the reflected light from the tissue. The present invention proposes to integrate the fiber distal ends in the slanted bevel of the needle in such a way that at least one source-detector fiber pair has a distance that is larger than the outer diameter of the needle.

Abstract: An ultrasound system comprises an ultrasound unit including: an ultrasound probe (20) for acquiring an anatomical image of a human body and for locating a medical instrument (5) with respect to said image, the ultrasound probe (20) including a first set of imaging transducer elements (550) and a second set of localisation transducer elements (551A, 551B), wherein the first set of imaging transducer elements are distinct and disjoint from the second set of localisation transducer elements, wherein: the first set of imaging transducer elements are configured to: produce ultrasound imaging transmissions into the human body, wherein the ultrasound imaging transmissions are focussed into an image scan plane (25), and receive reflections of the ultrasound imaging transmissions for generating a two-dimensional anatomical image corresponding to the image scan plane; and wherein the second set of localisation transducer elements are configured to produce ultrasound localisation transmissions into the human body for lo

Abstract: Needles are widely used in interventional radiology. Each medical application requires a specific needle type. The same holds for the photonic needles which analysis depends on the type of application the clinician aims for. Therefore, it is relevant to have the X-ray machine recognize the type of needle that is being used and to load the required software for the tissue analysis. It is therefore proposed to have a data link established between the imaging modality used for the acquisition of the patient anatomy (X-ray, CT, MR or US) and the system that processes optical data from the needle, so that the information from this imaging modality can be used to guide the processing. In a preferred embodiment the selection is made by reading out the code present in the disposable needle when it is connected to the console.

Abstract: A system for generating an image including information of both an interior and an exterior of a patient. The system includes an X ray device for providing an X ray image of a patient's interior, and a camera responsive to a wavelength for providing a camera image of a patient's exterior. The camera may be supported by the X ray device for establishing a determined spatial relationship between the camera and the X ray device. The system further includes a spatial reference for spatially correlating the X ray image and the camera image, where the spatial reference is detectable in the X ray image and in the camera image. A data processor configured for rendering the camera image and the X ray image into a composite image on the basis of the spatial reference.

Abstract: A system and method for mapping interluminal structures includes an elongated flexible instrument (102). An optical shape sensing device (152, 154) is disposed within the flexible instrument and is configured to determine a shape of the flexible instrument relative to a reference. The shape sensing device is configured to collect information based on its configuration to map an interluminal structure during a procedure. An imaging enabled ablation device (117) is mounted at or near a distal end portion of the flexible instrument.

Abstract: Needles are widely used in interventional radiology. Each medical application requires a specific needle type. The same holds for the photonic needles which analysis depends on the type of application the clinician aims for. Therefore, it is relevant to have the X-ray machine recognize the type of needle that is being used and to load the required software for the tissue analysis. It is therefore proposed to have a data link established between the imaging modality used for the acquisition of the patient anatomy (X-ray, CT, MR or US) and the system that processes optical data from the needle, so that the information from this imaging modality can be used to guide the processing. In a preferred embodiment the selection is made by reading out the code present in the disposable needle when it is connected to the console.

Abstract: A needle comprises a tip part, a holder part, a shaft, and fibers capable of transmitting light, wherein the shaft comprises a distal end connected to the tip part, and a proximal end connected to the holder part, wherein the tip part comprises a bevel, cutting facets, and at least one channel for accommodating a fiber, and wherein an end section of the fiber is located in the channel and an end surface of the fiber is located at one of the cutting facets. By way of the facets an introduction of the needle into tissue may be facilitated. A further aspect of the invention is a method for producing such a needle.

Abstract: Arrangements, apparatus and methods are provided according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In particular, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation may be received and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation within a solid angle may be forwarded to a sample. The second electro-magnetic radiation may be associated with the first electro-magnetic radiation. A plurality of third electro-magnetic radiations can be received from the sample which is associated with the second electro-magnetic radiation, and at least one portion of the third electro-magnetic radiation is provided outside a periphery of the solid angle. Signals associated with each of the third electro-magnetic radiations can be simultaneously detected, with the signals being associated with information for the sample at a plurality of depths thereof. The depths can be determined using at least one of the third electro-magnetic radiations without a need to utilize another one of the third electro-magnetic radiations.