An optical spectroscopic injection needle assembly. According to one embodiment, the assembly may include an injection needle, a light source, a spectrometer, a computer and an indicator. The injection needle, in turn, may include a hollow outer needle, a hollow inner needle, a pair of optical fibers, an inner catheter, an outer catheter, an inner hub and an outer hub. The proximal end of the outer needle may be fixedly mounted within the distal end of the inner catheter. The distal end of the inner hub may be fixedly mounted on the proximal end of the inner catheter, the proximal end of the inner hub being suited for connection to a syringe. The inner needle, as well as the distal ends of the optical fibers, may be positioned within the outer needle and may be held in place by an optical bonding material. The proximal ends of the optical fibers may extend from a side arm of the inner hub, one fiber may be coupled to the light source, the other fiber may be coupled to the spectrometer. The inner catheter and the outer needle may be slidably mounted within the outer catheter to permit the outer needle to be selectively extended or retracted from the distal end of the outer catheter. The outer hub may be fixedly mounted on the proximal end of the outer catheter. In use, as the outer needle may be inserted into a tissue, the tissue may be illuminated and the reflected light may be detected and compared to standards for various tissue types. The results of the comparison may then be indicated.
