CPC A61M 25/0108 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00133 (2013.01); A61B 1/00135 (2013.01); A61B 1/07 (2013.01); A61B 5/0073 (2013.01); A61B 5/0084 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
1. A catheter, comprising:
a drive cable having a cylindrical opening extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis thereof;
an imaging probe having an optical fiber and a distal optics assembly, the optical fiber arranged inside the cylindrical opening of the drive cable and the distal optics assembly fixedly attached to an inner surface of the drive cable at the distal end thereof;
a first radiopaque marker arranged at the distal end of the drive cable at a position distal and parallel to the distal optics assembly; and
a second radiopaque marker arranged at a predetermined distance from the distal end of the drive cable at a position proximal to the distal optics assembly,
wherein the second radiopaque marker is a coiled radiopaque wire,
wherein the second radiopaque marker is arranged concentric or coaxially to the longitudinal axis in a space between the longitudinal axis and an outer surface of the drive cable, and
wherein the second radiopaque marker is coiled to the longitudinal axis at a progressively decreasing variable pitch.
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