Apparatus for laser treatment of body lumens
First Claim
1. Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen having an obstruction therein comprising:
- catheter means for insertion in the body lumen, said catheter means having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, fiber means arranged in said catheter means for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end of said catheter means to impinge upon the obstruction in said body lumen;
laser means arranged adjacent the proximal end of said catheter means for generating a non-continuous wave, pulsed laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy and duty cycle selected to effect damage to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue of the body lumen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A laser microsurgical method and apparatus are disclosed for safely treating occluded body lumens with laser energy. The disclosed method involves the use of pulsed laser energy from an argon-ion laser to destroy the tissue of luminal occlusions, such as atheromatous plaque and the like, with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue. A flexible catheter and associated laser microsurgical system is also disclosed which provides for aiming of the fibers to transmit the laser beam at the distal end of the catheter and rotational positioning of the catheter to permit coverage of virtually the entire cross-sectional area of the lumen. A lens system at the distal end of each laser fiber minimizes beam divergence and directs the beam toward the central axis of the catheter. A further embodiment of the catheter of the invention provides an array of laser fibers which are optically scanned with laser energy to cover the cross-sectional area of the lumen. The system is designed to minimize the possibility of damage to or perforation of the surrounding tissue of the lumen.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen having an obstruction therein comprising:
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catheter means for insertion in the body lumen, said catheter means having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, fiber means arranged in said catheter means for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end of said catheter means to impinge upon the obstruction in said body lumen; laser means arranged adjacent the proximal end of said catheter means for generating a non-continuous wave, pulsed laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy and duty cycle selected to effect damage to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue of the body lumen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen having an obstruction therein comprising:
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catheter means for insertion in the body lumen, said catheter means having a sheath and a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means arranged in said catheter means for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end to impinge upon the obstruction in said body lumen; laser means arranged adjacent the proximal end of said catheter means for generating a non-continuous wave, pulsed laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy and duty cycle selected to effect damage to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue of the body lumen; and aiming means arranged within the sheath of said catheter means for shifting the distal end of said fiber means relative to said sheath and the longitudinal axis of the catheter means whereby said laser beam is selectively aimed to impinge upon different points on the obstruction. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising:
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catheter means for insertion in the body lumen, said catheter means having a sheath and a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means arranged in said catheter means for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end to impinge upon an obstruction in the body lumen; means for rotating said cathetermeans about the longitudinal axis thereof; and aiming means arranged within the sheath of said catheter means for shifting the distal end of said fiber means relative to said sheath and the longitudinal axis of the catheter means whereby said laser beam is selectively aimed to impinge upon different points on said obstruction with substantially no movement of said catheter means relative to the body lumen, said aiming means comprising a balloon arranged in said catheter means adjacent said fiber means and means for incrementally inflating and deflating said balloon. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising:
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catheter means for insertion in the body lumen, said catheter means having a sheath and a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means arranged in said catheter means for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end to impinge upon an obstruction in the body lumen; a lens means disposed at the distal end of said fiber means, said lens means comprising a converging lens for converging said beam and a prism for canting said beam toward the longitudinal axis of said catheter means; and aiming means arranged within the sheath of said catheter means for shifting the distal end of said fiber means relative to said sheath and the longitudinal axis of the catheter means whereby said laser beam is selectively aimed to impinge upon different points on said obstruction with substantially no movement of said catheter means relative to the body lumen.
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18. Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising:
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catheter means for insertion in the body lumen, said catheter means having a sheath and a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means arranged eccentrically in said catheter means for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end to impinge upon an obstruction in the body lumen; means for rotating said catheter about the longitudinal axis thereof; a lens system disposed at the distal end of said fiber means, said lens system comprising a converging lens for converging said laser beam and a prism for canting said beam toward the longitudinal axis thereof; aiming means comprising a balloon arranged within the sheath of said catheter means for shifting the distal end of said fiber means relative to said sheath and the longitudinal axis of the catheter means; and means for inflating and deflating said balloon such that said fiber means is shifted substantially radially of said catheter means whereby said laser beam is selectively aimed to impinge upon different points on said obstruction with substantially no movement of said catheter means relative to the body lumen.
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19. Apparatus for performing laser angioplasty by effecting damage to an obstruction in the vascular system of a human comprising:
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a laser means for generating a non-continuous wave, pulsed laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy and duty cycle selected to operate substantially at the threshold of the thermal relaxation time of the irradiated volume of the obstruction such that damage is effected to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue of the vascular system; and a flexible optical fiber means for transmitting said laser beam from said laser means through the vascular system to the obstruction therein.
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Specification