Patent ID: 7373197

Claim:
A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear or fluorescent radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising: an elongated tube having at least one lumen, the lumen extending from a distal end of the tube, for positioning within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, an expandable portion located on the distal end of said tube, drive means for causing the expandable portion to increase in diameter being operatively connected to the expandable portion, control means for the drive means being located at the proximal end of the tube, at least one radiation detector mounted on or in the expandable portion, a signal conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said signal conduit connected at a first end to the at least one radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body wherein the radiation detector is a scintillator, the signal conduit is an optical transmitting liquid that is operatively connected to an external photo multiplier tube or a photosensor, the photo multiplier tube or a photo sensor in turn connected to a signal processor.