{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,7]],"date-time":"2026-04-07T22:36:07Z","timestamp":1775601367425,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,30]],"date-time":"2018-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1530316800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Placing the needle inside the epidural space for locoregional anesthesia is a challenging procedure, which even today is left to the expertise of the operator. Recently, we have demonstrated that the use of optically sensorized needles significantly improves the effectiveness of this procedure. Here, we propose an optimized configuration, where the optical fiber strain sensor is directly integrated inside the epidural catheter. The new design allows the solving of the biocompatibility issues and increases the versatility of the former configuration. Through an in vivo study carried out on a porcine model, we confirm the reliability of our approach, which also opens the way to catheter monitoring during insertion inside biological spaces.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s18072101","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,2]],"date-time":"2018-07-02T10:56:52Z","timestamp":1530529012000},"page":"2101","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Smart Optical Catheters for Epidurals"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Benito","family":"Carotenuto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Optoelectronics Group, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4025-7890","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Armando","family":"Ricciardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Optoelectronics Group, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Micco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Optoelectronics Group, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9068-5952","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ezio","family":"Amorizzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pain Medicine Unit, Sant\u2019Andrea Hospital, \u201cSapienza\u201d University, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4321-6525","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Mercieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pain Medicine Unit, Sant\u2019Andrea Hospital, \u201cSapienza\u201d University, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Antonello","family":"Cutolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Optoelectronics Group, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Cusano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Optoelectronics Group, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1097\/00007632-198001000-00014","article-title":"Epidural injections for the diagnosis and treatment of low-back pain","volume":"5","author":"White","year":"1980","journal-title":"Spine"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"49","article-title":"Why epidurals do not always work","volume":"1","author":"Arendt","year":"2008","journal-title":"Rev. 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(2017). In vivo images of the epidural space with two-and three-dimensional optical coherence tomography in a porcine model. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0172149"},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"1","article-title":"Imaging Spinal Structures with Polarization-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography","volume":"8","author":"Ding","year":"2016","journal-title":"IEEE Photonics J."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"1","article-title":"Optical Guidance Systems for Epidural Space Identification","volume":"23","author":"Carotenuto","year":"2017","journal-title":"IEEE J. Sel. Top. Q. Electron."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carotenuto, B., Ricciardi, A., Micco, A., Amorizzo, E., Mercieri, M., Cutolo, A., and Cusano, A. (2018). Optical Fiber Technology enables Smart Needles for Epidurals: An in-vivo swine study. Biomed. Opt. 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Lightwave Technol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"903","DOI":"10.1213\/ANE.0000000000001109","article-title":"Human lumbar ligamentum flavum anatomy for epidural anesthesia: Reviewing a 3D MR-based interactive model and postmortem samples","volume":"122","author":"Reina","year":"2016","journal-title":"Anesth. Analg."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2619","DOI":"10.1364\/BOE.4.002619","article-title":"Epidural catheter with integrated light guides for spectroscopic tissue characterization","volume":"4","author":"West","year":"2013","journal-title":"Biomed. Opt. 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