Patents
US 11086073 B2: Guidewire having a fiber optic force sensor with a mirror having a patterned reflectance
- Granted
- 2021-08-10
- Filed
- 2021-01-08 application 17144447
- Type
- Utility · 27 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
A guidewire having a fiber optic force sensor with a mirror having encoded reflectance is described. The guidewire has a distal housing supported by a core wire. A distal hypotube connected to the distal housing supports a spring intermediate hypotube proximal and distal portions. An atraumatic head is connected to the distal hypotube portion. An optical fiber having at least one fiber core extends through lumens in the core wire and housing to a distal end of the housing. A mirror supported by the atraumatic head faces proximally but is spaced distally from the fiber core at a distal face of the optical fiber. The mirror is provided with a pattern of reflectance that varies along a radius from a central area of reflectance. Light of a defined power shines from the fiber core to the mirror with a reflected percentage of the defined light power being reflected back to the fiber core. A percentage of the reflected percentage of the defined light power is captured by and travels along the fiber core to a light wave detector connected to a controller. From the percentage of the reflected percentage of the light of the defined power received by the detector, the controller is programmed to calculate whether an axial or lateral force is imparted to the atraumatic head and, if so, the magnitude and vector of those forces.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg210810.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Region Manufacturing, Inc. 30 patents | US company or organization | Chaska, MN | LAKE REGION MANUFACTURING, INC. State business registration EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Michael Hayes | Cork, IE | 14 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Jim Kelley | Coon Rapids, MN | 4 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A61B | Diagnosis; surgery; identification | A61B34/20 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| G02B | Optical elements, systems or apparatus | G02B6/02042 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| G01D | Measuring not specially adapted for a specific variable; arrangements for measuring two or more variables not covered in a single other subclass; tariff metering apparatus; measuring or testing not otherwise provided for | G01D5/268 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| G01L | Measuring force, stress, torque, work, mechanical power, mechanical efficiency, or fluid pressure | G01L1/242 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-10 | Security interest Security interest Security interest | GREATBATCH LTD. signed 2021-09-02 ELECTROCHEM SOLUTIONS, INC. signed 2021-09-02 LAKE REGION MEDICAL, INC. signed 2021-09-02 LAKE REGION MANUFACTURING, INC. signed 2021-09-02 | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT ROANOKE, VA | 57468/56 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2021-01-08 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | HAYES, JOHN M. signed 2021-01-08 KELLEY, JIM signed 2021-01-08 | LAKE REGION MANUFACTURING, INC. CHASKA, MN | 54861/514 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.