Smart medical catheters face a connectivity challenge. An example is found in ultrasound imaging where the supply of power at the distal end and the signal transmission requires many thin and fragile wires in order to keep the catheter thin and flexible and this leads to a relatively high cost of production. We have built a fully functional benchtop demonstrator that is immediately scalable to catheter dimensions, in which all electrical wires are replaced by just two optical fibers. We show signal transfer of synthetic aperture ultrasound images as well as photovoltaic conversion to supply all electronics. The absence of conductors provides excellent galvanic isolation as well as RF and MRI compatibility and the simple design utilizing off the shelf components holds a promise of cost effectiveness all of which may help translation of these advanced devices into the clinic.
We show photovoltaic conversion of 405 nm light to 45 V and 1.8 V by two blue LEDs as well as 200 MHz broad-band signal transfer using modulated 850 nm VCSEL light. Synthetic aperture ultrasound images are acquired at a frequency of 12 MHz with a collapse-mode capacitive-micromachined ultrasonic transducer. Bandwidth, noise level and dynamic range are nearly identical as shown in comparison of the images acquired with the optical link and its electrical equivalent. In conclusion, we have successfully demonstrated low-cost and scalable optical signal and power transmission for an ultrasound imaging system enjoying intrinsic RF / MRI compatibility and galvanic isolation.
Diagnostic value of minimally invasive medical devices can be improved by putting electronic functionality at the tip. At
the same time the device should remain slim, flexible and affordable. We show transfer of high power and data over a
catheter by a single optical fiber and LED. We find that simultaneous photovoltaic power conversion and data
communication can be achieved via Photo-Induced Electro Luminescence (PEL), but only in case the LED has a high
bidirectional conversion efficiency (η<0.3). This eliminates the necessity of using thin electrical wires with fragile
interconnects that compromise bandwidth as well as RF and MRI compatibility.
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