Laser catheter
First Claim
1. A laser catheter assembly comprising:
- a tubular main body member having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end having a smoothly tapered forward face from a minimum diameter at a forwardmost portion thereof to a maximum diameter proximally of said forwardmost portion;
laser conducting means mounted within said tubular main body member for conducting at least one mid-infrared laser beam generated proximally of said main body member through said main body member to said distal end; and
at least one window means mounted to said smoothly tapered forward face adjacent a distal most end of said conducting means for passing mid-infrared laser beams conducted through said conducting means outwardly and distally relative to said main body member.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A laser catheter for removing athereosclerotic plaque. The distal end of the laser catheter, in addition to including a distal port for dye injection and preferably a steerable or at least movable guide wire, includes a smoothly tapered forward face with a sapphire, ruby, diamond or the like window for directing a mid-infrared laser beam centripedally toward a targeted plaque structure. A mid-infrared laser beam, preferably a erbium YAG or HF laser, is conducted through the catheter to abate plaque. A second catheter, substantially identical to the first catheter can slidably disposed about the first catheter so as to provide a tiered laser catheter. Thus, the smaller catheter can target plaque in the most constricted regions of the vessel and can then be advanced into the smaller diameter region while bringing the second, larger catheter into engagement with a larger diameter packed portion thereby enable the irradiation, and ablation of the same.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A laser catheter assembly comprising:
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a tubular main body member having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end having a smoothly tapered forward face from a minimum diameter at a forwardmost portion thereof to a maximum diameter proximally of said forwardmost portion; laser conducting means mounted within said tubular main body member for conducting at least one mid-infrared laser beam generated proximally of said main body member through said main body member to said distal end; and at least one window means mounted to said smoothly tapered forward face adjacent a distal most end of said conducting means for passing mid-infrared laser beams conducted through said conducting means outwardly and distally relative to said main body member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification