Patent ID: 6970732

Claim:
A method for guiding a medical instrument having a first end and a second end through a blood vessel, said method comprising the steps of: coupling at least one guidance system to the medical instrument, the guidance system including a first optic fiber having a first end and a second end and configured to propagate a sampling light beam, a second optic fiber having a first end and a second end and configured to propagate a reference light beam, a reference mirror positioned adjacent the second optic fiber second end, and a detecting element communicatively coupled to the first ends of the first and second optic fibers; placing the second end of the first optic fiber adjacent the second end of the medical instrument; configuring the second end of the medical instrument to direct the sampling light beam substantially coaxially with respect to the second end of the medical instrument; inserting the medical instrument at least partially into the blood vessel; and utilizing the detecting element configured to determine interference between a light beam propagating through the first optic fiber and a light beam propagating through the second optic fiber to guide the medical instrument through the blood vessel.