Patent ID: 8406837

Claim:
A catheter comprising: a catheter body having an inner lumen, a distal end and a proximal end; a distal catheter tip body having a distal end and a proximal end, with the proximal end of said catheter tip body removably coupled to said catheter body distal end; at least one port hole in said catheter tip body at an intermediate distance between the distal and proximal ends of said catheter tip body; a plurality of alignment grooves axially aligned in said catheter tip body for the placement of optical fibers; at least one transverse groove connecting two or more axially aligned grooves adjacent to the exit point of at least one port hole; a mating mechanism for coupling said tip body to said catheter body; at least one internal structural chamber for passing material from said inner lumen to said at least one port hole; a plurality of optical fibers extending distally from the proximal end of said catheter tip body and ending adjacent to said at least one port hole, said plurality of optical fibers being disposed in said alignment grooves, wherein said plurality of optical fibers comprises at least one optical delivery fiber to deliver light adjacent to said at least one port hole, and wherein said plurality of optical fibers further comprises at least one optical collection fiber to collect light signals delivered across said at least one port hole; a plurality of optical fiber stubs disposed in said alignment grooves, comprising at least one first optical fiber stub extending proximally from the distal end of said catheter tip body and having a mirrored end facing the distal end of said at least one optical delivery fiber, and further comprising at least one second optical fiber stub extending proximally from the distal end of said catheter tip and having a mirrored end facing the distal end of said at least one optical collection fiber, wherein said at least one first optical fiber stub reflects light delivered by said at least one optical delivery fiber across said at least one port hole along said transverse groove, and wherein said at least one second optical fiber stub reflects the light reflected from said at least one first optical fiber stub towards said at least one optical collection fiber.