Patent ID: 11950854
Assignee: GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC A  G

Claim 0:
1. A catheter retrofit system for active magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device location visualization comprising:
a mounting tube configured to accept a catheter and to a least partially conform to a shape of the catheter;
a non-conductive optical fiber with a distal end in communication with a portion of the mounting tube, a proximal end, and an acousto-optical sensor region disposed in proximity to the distal end and comprising a first fiber Bragg grating (FBG);
an electro-mechanical conversion assembly comprising:
a first antenna disposed on the mounting tube and configured to receive radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy and produce a corresponding electrical signal; and
a first piezoelectric transducer in mechanical communication with the first FBG, and in electrical communication with the first antenna;
wherein the first piezoelectric transducer is configured to modulate elastic properties of the acousto-optical sensor region with acoustic waves generated responsive to the electrical signal received from the first antenna; and

an acoustic resonator in communication with the optical fiber and configured to at least partially reflect the generated acoustic waves for enhanced modulation of the acousto-optical sensor region;
wherein characteristics of the modulated elastic properties of the optical fiber are detectable at the proximal end of the optical fiber; and
wherein at least the optical fiber and the electro-mechanical conversion assembly are configured to reduce MRI RF-induced heating of the system.