IVUS and OCT each offer something valuable in intravascular imaging. IVUS gives deeper visualization through blood and plaque, while OCT provides very fine detail close to the vessel wall. For years, companies have treated them as separate tools because the engineering needs behind each system are so different. Now more teams are trying to bring both into a single catheter to give physicians a fuller picture during a procedure.
That goal sounds simple, but the reality is far more involved. Putting two imaging systems inside a small, flexible catheter forces every part of the design to work together: the shaft, the wiring, the optical fiber, the transducer, the tip, and the bonding processes that hold everything in place. A hybrid catheter only works if both systems can perform well while sharing space and handling real clinical movement.
This post breaks down what it truly takes to combine IVUS and OCT into one catheter and highlights the design and manufacturing experience at Medical Murray that supports these advanced imaging systems.
Two Imaging Systems Competing for One Catheter Shaft
IVUS relies on an ultrasound transducer and micro-coaxial wiring. OCT requires an optical fiber, lens assembly, and a clear imaging window. Both modalities are highly sensitive to alignment, strain, heat, bending, and vibration. When combined, they immediately compete for space and routing inside the catheter.
- IVUS performance depends on stable transducer placement and consistent coupling to an acoustic window.
- OCT performance depends on precise fiber centering and a smooth optical path, particularly in rotational systems.
Design choices that benefit one modality can easily degrade the performance of the other. As a result, internal catheter layout becomes one of the most critical aspects of hybrid imaging design.
Medical Murray has built many catheter shafts that mix different materials, reinforcement patterns, and bend profiles to help protect delicate components. This type of design work becomes critical when a single catheter must carry wiring, an optical fiber, a torque element, and supportive structure without becoming too stiff or losing flexibility in tight anatomy.
The Distal Tip: Where Hybrid Imaging Succeeds or Fails
In nearly every imaging catheter, the distal tip is the most sensitive and failure-prone region. In a hybrid system, that complexity multiplies.
- OCT requires a polished optical window and precise alignment of the fiber and lens.
- IVUS requires a rigid housing that maintains transducer orientation and a clean acoustic path.
- Both must withstand bending, flushing, rotation, and repeated advancement through vasculature.
Even small misalignments can introduce imaging artifacts, signal loss, or noise. Adhesives, solder joints, and window bonds must secure components without clouding the optical path or blocking ultrasound transmission.
Medical Murray frequently assembles distal ends that include fiber alignment, micro-coax soldering, window bonding, and small housings that protect the imaging components. This type of hands-on work is often what determines whether a hybrid prototype is usable or not.
Managing OCT Rotation Without Compromising IVUS
If the hybrid system uses rotational OCT, torque handling becomes an additional challenge. OCT relies on a drive cable or torque shaft that can rotate smoothly while the catheter bends and twists. At the same time, the catheter must protect the fiber from micro-bending and prevent the rotation from disturbing the IVUS wiring.
Designing a shaft that can bend, twist, and rotate without damaging either system requires careful choices in materials and reinforcement. Medical Murray has supported many devices that use torque shafts and rotational assemblies, and we understand how to build shafts that balance rotation with the flexibility needed for navigation.
Wire and Fiber Management: A Common Failure Point
Reliable signal transmission is critical for both imaging systems:
- IVUS depends on robust micro-coax connections that tolerate repeated bending.
- OCT depends on optical fibers that cannot be pinched, kinked, or stressed.
In hybrid designs, improper routing or insufficient strain relief is often the root cause of early failures. These issues may not appear during initial bench testing but emerge during simulated use or animal studies.
Our teams often work on micro-coax routing, fiber protection, and strain-relief designs that help these components survive use in the lab and in simulated anatomy. Wiring and fiber management may not sound as complicated as distal imaging assemblies, but in many hybrid designs they are the main source of failure until the layout is refined.
Testing Hybrid IVUS-OCT Catheters Under Realistic Conditions
Hybrid imaging catheters must be tested under conditions that closely match real clinical use. This includes:
- Bending and torque testing
- Rotational endurance
- Distal tip durability
- Leak and flush integrity
- Imaging performance validation for both IVUS and OCT
Many early designs perform well in straight bench setups but fail when navigated through tortuous paths or when OCT rotation encounters resistance under load.
Medical Murray supports hybrid imaging programs through prototype builds, verification units, and simulated-use testing with complex anatomical paths. Our ability to iterate on shaft stiffness, bonding methods, distal tip geometry, and assembly processes helps teams refine designs before advancing to animal or clinical builds.
Hybrid IVUS-OCT Catheters Demand Precision Engineering
Bringing IVUS and OCT together in one catheter is one of the harder challenges in intravascular imaging. It requires thoughtful shaft design, careful routing of wires and fibers, stable distal-end assemblies, smooth rotation mechanics, and a clean layout that protects both signal types. These devices succeed or fail based on small details that only show up when the catheter is pushed, pulled, bent, rotated, and tested in real conditions.
Medical Murray has broad experience with imaging catheter assembly, including optical fibers, micro-coax wiring, torque shafts, imaging windows, and multi-zone catheter shafts. We support programs from early concepts through verification and clinical-ready builds, helping teams create devices that perform consistently and feel reliable to the user.
If you’re working on IVUS, OCT, or a hybrid design, we’re always open to discussing the project and sharing ideas, contact us.