Patent ID: 11867964
Assignee: ASTRO TECH CO., LTD.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A | IPC A  G

Claim 0:
1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers each including a plurality of operating condition sensors connected to an elongated tubular member, wherein each one of the operating condition sensors includes an operating condition signal generating portion, and wherein each of the optical fibers has a first end and a second end;
an optical sensing module having at least one signaling port; and
a multiplexing unit includes a plurality of optical fiber interfaces each having a downstream facing port and an upstream facing port, wherein the upstream facing port of each one of the optical fiber interfaces is connectable to each other one of the upstream facing ports, wherein each end of each one of the optical fibers is operably connected to the downstream facing port of a respective one of the optical fiber interfaces, wherein the upstream facing ports are connected to each other such that at least two of the optical fibers are connected to each in a series fashion to form a contiguous optical fiber structure having opposing ends and wherein the upstream facing port connected to an end of the contiguous optical fiber structure is connected to the at least one signaling port of the optical sensing module for enabling sensor data generated within the contiguous optical fiber structure to be provided from the multiplexing unit to the optical sensing module.