Patent ID: 7992573

Claim:
A method of precisely placing a light-emitting point on an optically-guided catheter within a patient, the method comprising: inserting the optically-guided catheter into a patient vessel of the patient; emitting light from a light-emitting point on the catheter within the patient; moving the light-emitting point in proximity to the patient's heart; externally detecting light emitted from the light-emitting point on the catheter within the patient, wherein the light is transdermally projected from within the patient; observing changes in pattern of emitted light as the light-emitting point approaches the patient's heart; determining location of the light-emitting point within the patient, based upon the externally detected light; and determining placement of the catheter within the patient, based upon location of the light-emitting point; wherein in proximity to the heart, the emitted light fluctuates in intensity synchronously with heart beats, thereby indicating the location of the distal end of the optically-guided catheter within the patient vessel in relation to the patient's heart.