Intravascular Diagnostic or Therapeutic Apparatus Using High-Intensity Pulsed Light

• US 20080221560A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KEIO University
• Original Assignee: KEIO University
• Inventors: Arai, Tsunenori, Futami, Hikaru, Suga, Eriko, Yamashita, Erika
• Granted Patent: US 8,657,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3137 for examination of the interior of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence

Abstract

An intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus capable of removing blood in an intravascular lumen to be observed using a minimally invasive method is provided. The apparatus includes high-intensity pulsed light generating means and high-intensity pulsed light transmitting means for transmitting high-intensity pulsed light, capable of irradiating the interior of a blood vessel with high-intensity pulsed light, producing water-vapor bubbles and temporarily removing the blood in the blood vessel.

Claims

1. An intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus comprising:

high-intensity pulsed light generating means; and

high-intensity pulsed light transmitting means for transmitting high-intensity pulsed light, capable of irradiating the interior of a blood vessel with high-intensity pulsed light, generating water-vapor bubbles and temporarily removing blood in the blood vessel.

2. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 1, which has the form of a catheter, further comprising pulsed light irradiating means for irradiating the interior of the blood vessel with light for diagnostics or therapy, enabling diagnostics or therapy in an intravascular lumen.

3. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy is ultraviolet light, visible light, near-infrared light or infrared light.

4. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy is ultraviolet light and relaxes the blood vessel.

5. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy is ultraviolet light, visible light, near-infrared light or infrared light and contracts the blood vessel.

6. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy has high intensity.

7. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy can destroy atheroma of arterial sclerosis in the blood vessel or thrombus in the blood vessel.

8. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy is selectable from a group of light generated by a solid laser, semiconductor laser, dye laser, variable wavelength near-infrared laser, optical parametric oscillator (OPO), Raman laser, light generated by coupling these lasers with a non-linear optical converter and flash lamp.

9. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy is used for photochemical therapy.

10. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 8, which is an angioscope, having the form of a catheter, further comprising illumination light irradiating means for pulsed-illuminating the interior of the blood vessel to enable optical observation and image-pickup means for taking images of an intravascular lumen illuminated with the illumination light.

11. The angioscope according to claim 10, further comprising solution feeding means, capable of replacing blood in a local region irradiated with high-intensity pulsed light with a liquid whose high-intensity pulsed light absorbability is close to that of water.

12. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein an absorbing coefficient of water ranges from 10 to 1000 cm⁻

1 with a wavelength of high-intensity pulsed light.

13. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the wavelength of high-intensity pulsed light ranges from 0.3 to 3 μ

m.

14. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 13, which is an angioscope, wherein the wavelength of high-intensity pulsed light ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 μ

m.

15. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, which is an angioscope, wherein the high-intensity pulsed light is pulsed laser.

16. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the high-intensity pulsed light is pulsed light generated by an optical parametric oscillator (OPO).

17. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the laser is a solid laser using rare-earth ions.

18. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a laser medium is Ho or Tm and a laser base material is selected from a group of YAG, YLF, YSGG and YVO.

19. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the laser is Ho:

YAG laser or Tm;

YAG laser.

20. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the pulse width of irradiation of high-intensity pulsed light is 10 ns to 10 ms.

21. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the pulse width of irradiation of high-intensity pulsed light is 100 μ

s to 400 μ

s.

22. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein a delay is provided between irradiation of pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy and irradiation of high-intensity pulsed light.

23. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein irradiation timing of high-intensity pulsed light and pulsed light for diagnostics or therapy is delayed from or synchronized with a pulsating blood flow using an electrocardiograph and high-intensity pulsed light can be irradiated when the pulsating blood flow decreases.

24. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 23, having irradiation field operability.

25. The angioscope according to any one of claims 1 to 24, which is a cardioscope.

26. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 25, which is an angioscope, further comprising diagnostic or therapeutic means.

27. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 26, which is an angioscope, capable of obtaining images of the interior of the blood vessel as moving images by repeating irradiation of high-intensity pulsed light and pulsed illumination at short intervals, discovering a lesioned part in the blood vessel while observing the images or conducting diagnostics or therapy inside the blood vessel using diagnostic or therapeutic means.

28. The intravascular diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus according to claim 26 or 27, which is an angioscope, wherein the diagnostic or therapeutic means is selectable from a group of directional atherectomy apparatus, thrombus aspirator, rotablator and apparatus for biopsy.