Catheter for laser angiosurgery
First Claim
1. A medical laser catheter for removing tissue from a site comprising;
- a catheter having an optical waveguide extending from a proximal end of the catheter to a distal region at a distal end of the catheter;
a lumen extending within the catheter and defining a central opening at the distal end of the catheter through such that the distal end of the catheter comprises a rigid output surface surrounding the central opening; and
a laser coupled to the optical waveguide such that laser radiation can be transmitted from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter, the waveguide emitting a diverging output beam of radiation through the output surface of the catheter such that the diverging output beam substantially overlies the output surface surrounding the central opening at the distal end of the catheter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A laser catheter is disclosed wherein optical fibers carrying laser light are mounted in a catheter for insertion into an artery to provide controlled delivery of a laser beam for percutaneous intravascular laser treatment of atherosclerotic disease. A transparent protective shield is provided at the distal end of the catheter for mechanically diplacing intravascular blood and protecting the fibers from the intravascular contents, as well as protecting the patient in the event of failure of the fiber optics. Multiple optical fibers allow the selection of tissue that is to be removed. A computer controlled system automatically aligns fibers with the laser and controls exposure time. Spectroscopic diagnostics determine what tissue is to be removed.
206 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A medical laser catheter for removing tissue from a site comprising;
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a catheter having an optical waveguide extending from a proximal end of the catheter to a distal region at a distal end of the catheter; a lumen extending within the catheter and defining a central opening at the distal end of the catheter through such that the distal end of the catheter comprises a rigid output surface surrounding the central opening; and a laser coupled to the optical waveguide such that laser radiation can be transmitted from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter, the waveguide emitting a diverging output beam of radiation through the output surface of the catheter such that the diverging output beam substantially overlies the output surface surrounding the central opening at the distal end of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. The medical laser catheter system for removing tissue from a site comprising:
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a catheter having a plurality of optical waveguides extending from a proximal end of the catheter to a distal region at a distal end of the catheter; a retainer at the distal region of the catheter, the retainer securing a distal potion of each optical waveguide a fixed distance from a distal portion of every other optical waveguide of the catheter, the waveguides being concentrically arrayed about a longitudinal axis of the catheter; a guidewire lumen extending within the catheter and defining a central opening at the distal end of the catheter such that the distal end of the catheter comprises an output surface surrounding the opening; and a laser coupled to any selected group of the optical waveguides such that laser radiation can be transmitted from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter, each selected waveguide emitting an output beam of radiation through the output surface of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A medical laser catheter system for insertion into a body lumen comprising:
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a catheter having a plurality of optical waveguides extending from a proximal end of the catheter to a distal region at a distal end of the catheter, the optical waveguides being adapted for transmission of laser radiation through the catheter; a rigid optical system at the distal end of the catheter, the optical system including an output surface such that light exiting a distal end of each waveguide is transmitted through the optical system output surface; a guidewire lumen extending within the catheter and defining an opening at the distal end of the catheter through which a guidewire can be displaced such that the output surface is adjacent to the opening; and a laser coupled to the optical waveguides such that laser radiation can be transmitted from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter, the waveguides emitting an output beam of radiation through the optical system output surface of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A catheter for delivering laser energy within a body lumen, the catheter having a proximal end, a distal end and a cross-sectional area and comprising:
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a lumen extending through the catheter, the lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter; an opening at the proximal end of the lumen for permitting fluid communication with the lumen and to permit a guidewire to be received within the lumen; a plurality of optical fibers extending through the catheter; an optical shield mounted on the distal end of the catheter and covering the distal end of the fibers, the optical shield having a distal surface defining an emission surface and providing an optical path from the distal end of the fibers to the emission surface; a distal opening formed through the optical shield in communication with the catheter lumen; a retainer for holding the distal ends of the optical fibers in optically transmissive relations to the shield to direct light from the optical fibers through the shield and emit light in a divergent beam such that light emitted from each of the fibers may overlap increasingly in a distal direction and such that the overlapping beams emitted by the optical fibers in combination diverge to define an area which is at least as great as the cross-sectional area of the distal end of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification