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: 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 optical scanning probe assembly for microscopic guide optic scanning and inspection of tissues includes an outer housing having a spring element for a scanning motor. The spring element is formed as a hollow tube configured to receive an optical guide, where the hollow tube has a mechanical stiffness larger than the optical guide to be received. The assembly further includes a lens system and a deflector configured to deflect the distal end of the hollow tube in directions transverse to the longitudinal extension of the hollow tube, so as to form an optical scan pattern.

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: The present invention relates to an optical probe (1) suitable for miniature applications. An example application is a fiber-based confocal miniaturized microscope. The optical probe comprises a coil-based actuation system (9, 10) comprising drive coils (9) capable of displacing the distal end (3) of an optical guide (2) housed (4) by the optical probe. The probe makes use of a feedback loop which alternate between driving the displacement of the optical guide by driving a current through the drive coils and switching off the current through the drive coils, and while the drive current being switched off, measure the speed of the distal end of the optical guide. The measured speed is compared to the set-point speed, and if a difference is detected, the drive current is adjusted to eliminate, or at least bring down, this difference.

Abstract: A fiber scanning system is provided comprising a housing (102) with a fiber (13), the fiber (13) comprising a fixed part and a free end, the fixed part being attached to a bottom of the housing (102) and the fiber (13) extending parallel to the wall of the housing (102). At least one electrical coil (12) is attached to the wall at a position in between the fixed part and the free end of the fiber (13), a winding of the electrical coil (12) being in a plane parallel to the fiber (13). A magnet (11) is attached to the fiber (13), such that the electrical coil (12) may induce a force on the magnet (11). The magnet (11) is attached to the fiber (13) at a position just before or after the electrical coil (12), a width of the magnet (11) being such that the magnet (11) extends over the electrical coil (12).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical probe (1) suitable for miniature applications. An example application is a fibre-based confocal miniaturized microscope. The optical probe comprises a coil-based actuation system (9, 10) comprising drive coils (9) capable of displacing the distal end (3) of an optical guide (2) housed (4) by the optical probe. The probe makes use of a feedback loop which alternate between driving the displacement of the optical guide by driving a current through the drive coils and switching off the current through the drive coils, and while the drive current being switched off, measure the speed of the distal end of the optical guide. The measured speed is compared to the set-point speed, and if a difference is detected, the drive current is adjusted to eliminate, or at least bring down, this difference.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical imaging apparatus for providing information about an object. The invention further relates to a method for providing information about an object. In order to improve the preparation and the visual reception of information relating to an object during medical interventions, a medical imaging apparatus for providing information about an object is provided that comprises an image acquisition device an interventional device, a processing device and a display device. The image acquisition device detects object data from at least one region of interest of an object and provides the object data to the processing device. The interventional device detects physiological parameters of the object depending on the position of a predetermined area of the interventional device in relation to the object and provides the physiological parameters to the processing device.

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: 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: Needles equipped with fibres allow tissue inspection based on optical spectroscopy to diagnose whether tissue is cancerous or not. This requires integration of optical fibers into needles. The problem is how to manufacture the needle having at least one fiber exit at the distal end of the needle, where the fiber does not obstruct the hollow part of the needle if present as well as does not extend beyond the outer cylinder geometry. To solve this problem we propose to manufacture the needle consisting of four parts: an inner cylinder tube, an outer hollow cylinder tube, a needle tip part with integrated fiber exit and a holder part, wherein the hollow spacing between the inner and the outer cylinder is larger or equal to the outer diameter of the fibers, the inner and the outer cylinder are mounted in the holder part and where the tip part is mounted on the two cylinders.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical scanning probe assembly for microscopic guide optic scanning and inspection of tissues suitable for application in, e.g. in vivo medical inspection and biopsy. The assembly comprises an outer housing (3) comprising: i) a spring element for a scanning motor, the spring element formed as a hollow tube (5) adapted to receive an optical guide, the hollow tube having mechanical stiffness larger than the optical guide to be received, ii) a lens system (7) and iii) N means for deflecting (6) the distal end of the hollow tube in directions transverse to the longitudinal extension of the hollow tube, so as to form an optical scan pattern. The optical assembly is particularly advantageous as it increases the freedom to optimize the optical and mechanical performance of the system which is defined respectively by the optical guide and by the hollow tube. The probe can be used in resonant and non-resonant scanning modes.

Abstract: Biopsy needles equipped with fibres (20) allow tissue inspection to diagnoses. In order to allow detailed inspection side looking fibres should also be integrated around the needle. These fibres might be embedded in a transparent medium (18) to avoid direct contact of the sharp edges of the fibre to the tissue. A biopsy needle having such embedded fibres as well as a method for manufacturing said biopsy needle, based on curable transparent liquid, is provided by the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical probe (1) with an optical guide (2), e.g. an optical fibre, and a lens system (6) rigidly coupled to an end portion (2a) of the optical guide. The probe has a housing (3) with a cavity for the optical guide, the housing having at its distal end a transparent window (4), the window having an insignificant optical power as compared to the optical power of the said lens system (6). Actuation means (8) displaces the 5 lens system so as to enable optical scanning of a region of interest (ROI). The invention is particularly suited for miniature applications e.g. for in-vivo medical application. By attaching the lens system (6) to the optical guide (2) via the mount (7), the field of view (FOV) of the optical probe (1) may be determined directly by the transverse stroke of the optical fibre (2). Hence only a relatively small stroke is required. The field of view is thus 10 effectively no longer limited by the transverse stroke.

Abstract: A fiber scanning system is provided comprising a housing (102) with a fiber (13), the fiber (13) comprising a fixed part and a free end, the fixed part being attached to a bottom of the housing (102) and the fiber (13) extending parallel to the wall of the housing (102). At least one electrical coil (12) is attached to the wall at a position in between the fixed part and the free end of the fiber (13), a winding of the electrical coil (12) being in a plane parallel to the fiber (13). A magnet (11) is attached to the fiber (13), such that the electrical coil (12) may induce a force on the magnet (11). The magnet (11) is attached to the fiber (13) at a position just before or after the electrical coil (12), a width of the magnet (11) being such that the magnet (11) extends over the electrical coil (12).

Abstract: This application describes a medical device (230) for obtaining optical tissue properties of a target material. The medical device (230) comprises an elongated body (231) having a longitudinal axis (232) and an optical fiber being integrated within the elongated body (231). The optical fiber has a second fiber end (242, 242a, 242b), which is arranged at a side wall (233) of the elongated body (231) and which provides a lateral field of view with respect to the longitudinal axis (232). According to an embodiment many optical fibers are integrated each having an optical outlet (242, 242a, 242b) around the elongated body (231). Using the outlets (242, 242a, 242b) to do diffuse optical tomography and also use optical fibers to do an optical inspection, one can get information on the presence of tumors in a volume around the medical device (230) and a tissue characterization in the vicinity of the medical device (230). Thereby, an optical biopsy may be carried out, wherein no real tissue is removed.

Abstract: A filter arrangement for a recording/reproducing wherein an air filter is adapted to filter an air flow of ambient air present within the housing during operation of the device flowing over an information surface of a rotating information disc disposed adjacent to the information surface in parallel spaced relation thereto, a casing within the housing encasing an information surface of an information disc disposed on the disc driving arrangement and provided with an air inlet for air to be filtered and an air exhaust for filtered air.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing device for recording/reproducing information on/from an information disc, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, by means of a pick-up device movable over the rotating information disc comprises: