A guidewire system comprises a guidewire supporting a distal ferrule in the proximal end of a guidewire lumen. The distal ferrule has a ferrule opening that is sized to snuggly receive the proximal end of a distal optical fiber with a distal portion of the distal optical fiber extending into the guidewire lumen. However, the proximal end of the distal optical fiber only occupies a distal portion of the opening in the distal ferrule, leaving a proximal portion of that opening unoccupied. That way, the distal end of a proximal optical fiber can be received into the unoccupied proximal portion of the opening in the distal ferrule to optically connect to the distal optical fiber. Having the proximal and distal optical fibers coaxially aligned in a common opening in a ferrule received in a guidewire ensures that the optical fibers are optically connected to each other in a precise manner so that light can be transmitted along them with minimal losses.

A probe, such as a spectroscopic probe, for enabling a fluid or tissue sample to be tested in situ. The probe includes a conduit, such as a hypodermic needle, that can be inserted into a test subject and a wave coupling arranged to direct electromagnetic radiation, such as light, from an energy source to the sample and/or from the sample to a receiver for analysis. The receiver may comprise a Raman spectroscope. The probe may include a carriage that can be used to move at least some of the optical coupling towards and away from the insertion tip of the conduit. The probe may include a pressure modifier that can be used to draw fluid into or expel fluid from the conduit.

A probe comprising a body portion and a tip portion. The body portion comprises: a first mounting portion comprising a plurality of first carriers, each first carrier being arranged to support an elongate first waveguide, the first carriers being disposed in an equiangular arrangement around a longitudinal axis of the body portion; a plurality of first waveguides, each first waveguide being supported in a respective one of the plurality of first carriers; and a body end fitting at which first ends of the first waveguides are supported in the equiangular arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the body portion such that the first waveguides can transmit electromagnetic radiation signals from an energy source to the body end fitting and/or transmit electromagnetic radiation signals from the body end fitting to a receiver. The tip portion comprises: a second mounting portion comprising a plurality of second carriers, each second carrier being arranged to support an elongate second waveguides, the second carriers being disposed in the equiangular arrangement around a longitudinal axis of the tip portion; a plurality of second waveguides, each second waveguides being supported in a respective one of the plurality of second carriers; and a tip end fitting at which first ends of the second waveguides are supported in the equiangular arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the tip portion; and an elongate conduit for piercing human tissue.

A regional oximetry pod drives optical emitters on regional oximetry sensors and receives the corresponding detector signals in response. The sensor pod has a dual sensor connector configured to physically attach and electrically connect one or two regional oximetry sensors. The pod housing has a first housing end and a second housing end. The dual sensor connector is disposed proximate the first housing end. The housing at least partially encloses the dual sensor connector. A monitor connector is disposed proximate a second housing end. An analog board is disposed within the pod housing and is in communications with the dual sensor connector. A digital board is disposed within the pod housing in communications with the monitor connector.

An airway adaptor providing a measurement chamber for gas measurement by a mainstream gas analyzer includes a body having a first end and a second end and configured to connect in a ventilation circuit carrying ventilation gas to and from a patient. The body forms a primary path that includes the measurement chamber and is configured to allow ventilation gas to pass between the first end and the second end and at least one secondary path separated from the primary path and located on an outer perimeter of the primary path. The at least one secondary path is configured to contain liquid away from the measurement chamber.

A monitoring device includes a band configured to be secured around an appendage of a subject, and a sensor module secured to the band via supporting material. The band has a first Durometer value, and the supporting material has a second Durometer value that is lower than the first Durometer value. The sensor module includes a housing, and a sensor assembly disposed within the housing. The sensor assembly includes at least one energy emitter and at least one energy detector, and the housing includes at least one protrusion extending outwardly to accommodate the at least one energy emitter, and a plurality of outwardly extending stabilizing members.

A medical sensor extension cable includes a sensor electrical contacting interface, that receives an electrical sensor signal which indicates a physiological parameter of a patient, and a wired data interface, that connects to a data network device. An integrated circuit determines measured values of the physiological parameter based on the sensor signal, to provide an alarm limit value, to establish a presence of an alarm event as a function of a comparison of the measured values and the at least one alarm limit value, as well as to provide data elements, which indicate the measured values and the presence of the alarm event in the event of an alarm, via the data interface. A data network device includes a data connection interface for a data interface of the extension cable. A display interface provides a display signal, which indicates the measured values and the alarm limits.

An optical coupling efficiency detection assembly includes a first housing accommodating a beam splitter and a fiber port, a second housing accommodating a ferrule enclosing a monitoring fiber, and an attachment block attaching the first housing to the second housing to establish a parfocal arrangement among the beam splitter, the fiber port, and the ferrule. Further, an assembly method for the optical coupling efficiency detection assembly is disclosed. The assembly method may include providing a beam splitter and a fiber port in a first housing, providing a ferrule enclosing a monitoring fiber in a second housing, and attaching the second housing to the first housing via an attachment block to establish a parfocal arrangement among the beam splitter, the fiber port, and the ferrule.

Medical devices including optical connector cable assemblies are disclosed. An optical connector cable assembly may include an optical connector cable having a first optical fiber extending therefrom. The optical connector cable may include a distal connector configured to connect to a guidewire. The distal connector may include an inner housing and a guidewire locking mechanism. The distal connector may also include an actuator. Actuation of the actuator may move the inner housing from a first position to a second position. When the inner housing is in the first position the guidewire locking mechanism is configured to secure the guidewire and the guidewire is rotatable with respect to the optical connector cable. When the inner housing is in the second position the guidewire locking mechanism is in an open state for receiving or removing the guidewire.

The present invention relates to a minimally invasive medical instrument (100) having a proximal end (100b) and a distal end (100a) and comprising a sensor arrangement (10) arranged at the distal end (100b) of the medical instrument (100). The sensor arrangement (10) comprises a sensor (20) configured to generate sensor data in the form of an electrical sensor signal, and a data conversion device (40) configured to convert the electrical sensor signal into an optical signal and comprising an electrical input (41) for receiving the electrical sensor signal and an optical output (42) for transmitting the optical signal. The sensor arrangement (10) further comprises an optical fiber (50) configured to transmit the optical signal from the distal end (100a) to the proximal end (100b), the optical fiber (50) coupled to the output of the data conversion device (40) for receiving the optical signal, the optical fiber (50) extending from the distal end (100a) to the proximal end (100b) of the instrument (100). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such a minimally invasive medical instrument (100).