US 11,839,493 B2
Optical coherence tomography for biological imaging
John F. Black, Irmo, SC (US); Maegan K. Spencer, Emerald Hills, CA (US); Michael Zung, San Carlos, CA (US); Charles W. McNall, Cottonwood Heights, UT (US); Evangeline Lumabas, San Jose, CA (US); Michael H. Rosenthal, Menlo Park, CA (US); and John B. Simpson, Woodside, CA (US)
Assigned to AVINGER, INC., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed by Avinger, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/652,073.
Application 17/652,073 is a continuation of application No. 16/506,851, filed on Jul. 9, 2019, granted, now 11,284,839.
Application 16/506,851 is a continuation of application No. 15/783,800, filed on Oct. 13, 2017, granted, now 10,342,491, issued on Jul. 9, 2019.
Application 15/783,800 is a continuation of application No. 12/790,703, filed on May 28, 2010, granted, now 9,788,790, issued on Oct. 17, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/258,064, filed on Nov. 4, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/222,238, filed on Jul. 1, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/182,061, filed on May 28, 2009.
Prior Publication US 2022/0240860 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/6852 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0066 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of imaging an interior of a blood vessel, comprising:
inserting a catheter of an optical coherence tomography catheter system into the blood vessel, the catheter including an optical fiber within an elongate body, wherein a distal end of the optical fiber is embedded within a reference medium;
providing optical radiation to a core of the optical fiber using a swept-frequency source, wherein the reference medium reflects a first portion of the optical radiation back into the core and transfers a second portion of the optical radiation to a target within the blood vessel;
receiving reflected optical radiation reflected by the reference medium and the target; and
generating an image of the target based on the received reflected optical radiation.