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    Fiber optic thumb
    Image-guided therapy

    Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology

    Contact salesFind support

    Using light instead of X-ray

    Using light, Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology, exclusive to Philips, enables real-time, 3D visualization of devices1 inside the body without the need for fluoro! FORS-enabled guidewires have a hair-thin optical fiber integrated into them. By pulsing light into the fiber and analyzing the reflections, the full shape of devices can be reconstructed and visualized. These devices are displayed in the context of the patient’s anatomy through overlay on images acquired before or during the procedure, like CT scans and X-rays.

    LumiGuide

    Turning light into data with 3D device guidance in a radiation-free environment

    LumiGuide – powered by Fiber Optic Real Shape – gives you unprecedented, full-shape 3D device1 visualization. From any angle. In real-time. With distinctive colors. And integrated into your known roadmap techniques.

    Device visualization using the wonders of light
    With FORS technology, clinicians can carry out parts of minimally invasive interventions without the need for X- ray, which should minimize the risks associated with long-term radiation exposure.
    Device visualization
    Unprecedented viewing clarity
    FORS technology makes it possible to display the full shape of devices in 3D and in distinctive colors, as opposed to the 2D, greyscale visualization produced by fluoroscopy. FORS images are generated in real-time, and can be rotated and tilted to allow viewing from any angle.
    Viewing clarity
    Visualize your catheter of choice
    Thanks to 3D Hub technology, you can continue to work with the catheters you’re already used to. The 3D Hub, in combination with FORS-enabled guidewires, enables your catheters to be visualized inside the body.
    Visualize the catheter
    Discover Philips LumiGuide powered by FORS technology
    Work confidently and safely in an increasingly radiation-free lab. With LumiGuide, you see more, perform fast, stay safe – and push the boundaries of care for your patients.
    Learn more
    lumiguide
    Frequently asked questions

    A four-core optical fiber is integrated into a guidewire. By sending light into this fiber and then analyzing how the light is reflected back along the length of the fiber, it becomes possible to calculate the shape as well as the perspective. In fact, you can ‘see’ the whole fiber, and thereby the guidewire (and a catheter slid over it). In real time. There is no need for additional external imaging technology; the device literally visualizes itself.

    X-ray is still necessary to visualize the patient anatomy. FORS technology only visualizes devices. However, FORS has already been shown to reduce radiation exposure, for the patient and staff, during complex aortic procedures.

    FORS is already accurate enough for top-level vascular surgeons in real-life interventions:
    "FORS based device visualization [is] superior to conventional fluoroscopic imaging, while not affecting the mechanical properties (torquability, pushability) of the FORS-enabled guidewire and catheters."2
    "The technology achieves submillimeter precision and provides full three-dimensional shape, surpassing the reported precision of other navigation and tracking technologies."3
    "Visualization of navigation catheters is highly accurate with the 3D Hub technology."4

    Yes. FORS has been specifically designed to work with standard catheters, in combination with the Philips 3D Hub. The Fiber Optic RealShape technology is integrated into the guidewire that the catheter slides over, and not the catheter itself.

    Documentation

    First-in-Human Clinical Feasibility Study of Endovascular Navigation with FORS Technology
    PDF|(1.28 MB)
    Initial single-center experience with Fiber Optic RealShape guidance in complex aortic repair
    PDF|(832.85 KB)
    The effect of FORS-technology on the reduction of radiation during complex endovascular surgery
    PDF|(541.64 KB)
    Footnotes
    1. The FORS-enabled guidewire as well as compatible endovascular catheters.
    2. Jansen, van Herwaarden, et al. Three Dimensional Visualisation of Endovascular Guidewires and Catheters Based on Laser Light instead of Fluoroscopy with Fiber Optic RealShape Technology: Preclinical Results. European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, April 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2020.02.035
    3. Megens, 't Hooft, et al. The technology achieves submillimeter precision and provides full three-dimensional shape, surpassing the reported precision of other navigation and tracking technologies. Medical Physics, April 2021. DOI: 10.1002/mp.14881
    4. Bydlon, Flexman, et al. Visualization of navigation catheters is highly accurate with the 3D Hub technology. EJVES Vascular Forum, May 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvsvf.2023.05.006
    Disclaimer
    LumiGuide Equipment is FDA – 510(k) cleared and pending CE marking. LumiGuide Single-Use Devices are FDA – 510(k) cleared and CE approved.