Patent ID: 6890307

Claim:
A catheter temperature sensor comprising: a lumen, a fiber-optic cable that extends through the lumen, the fiber-optic cable comprising a distal end coated with a fluorescent material and a proximal end connected to a console, the lumen comprising a distal end section that at least partially surrounds the distal end of the fiber-optic cable, at least a portion of the distal end section of the lumen being received in a coil spring, the coil spring comprising a series of closely spaced or abutting coils with a gap in the series of coils that is aligned with the fluorescent material, the lumen comprising an opening aligned with the fluorescent material, the gap in the coils and the opening in the lumen permitting unimpeded heat flow to and from the fluorescent material, and the console comprising a light source for transmitting light through the fiber-optic cable and exciting the fluorescent material, the console further comprising means for generating a temperature signal from the light emitted by the excited fluorescent material.