Fiber Optic Sensors for Medical Devices

As medical procedures continue to advance with the development of new technologies and manufacturing capabilities, MedTech and life sciences engineers face demands for more device feedback and data to help guide clinicians towards more successful outcomes. For catheter-based devices, one of the best methods to collect critical data at the tip of the device are fiber optics sensors. Fiber optic sensors provide a reliable solution for measuring parameters such as pressure, temperature, force, displacement, and position. There are many benefits to using fiber optic sensors for catheter devices, including: Fiber optic sensors are extremely small, which allows them to take up less space inside the catheter shaft. The glass fiber is flexible and kink-resistant, which helps the device better navigate the tortuous anatomy of the body. The pushability and the trackability of catheter integrating a fiber optic sensor is superior to catheter integrating the legacy electrical sensing element. Fiber-optic sensors are immune to electromagnetic interference and do not conduct electricity.