Method of treating veins

• US 5,578,029 A
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ESC Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Coherent Inc (Coherent Corp.)
• Inventors: Koop, Dale F., Trelles, Mario A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRIS, SONYA C
• Application Number:
  US08/598,657
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 606/4, 606/5, 606/6, 606/7, 606/9, 606/10, 606/11, 606/12, 606/14, 606/15, 606/16, 606/17
• US Class Current: 606/25
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00747 Dermatology
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00756 Port wine stains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00778 Operations on blood vessels A61B2017/22097, A61B2017/320741 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00458 Deeper parts of the skin, e.g. treatment of vascular disorders or port wine stains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body

Abstract

A method is disclosed for treating veins. In the subject method, the skin is pierced with the sharpened tip of a fiber optic probe. The probe is advanced to a location underneath the vessel to be treated. Once in position, the vessel is irradiated with a treatment beam having a fluence sufficient to coagulate and collapse the vessel at that location. The procedure is then repeated at multiple sites along the length of the vessel so that it will collapse along its length and no longer carry any blood. In the preferred embodiment, a curved probe is used to facilitate the insertion of the tip under the vessel.

Claims

1. A fiber optic probe for use in treating blood vessels under the skin comprising:

a hollow tubular member having a sharpened needle-shaped tip configured for piercing the skin thereby permitting the tubular member to be advanced along side of a blood vessel located under the skin; and

an optical fiber supported within the tubular member, said optical fiber for transmitting laser radiation from an input end to a delivery end and wherein the delivery end terminates within the tubular member, said delivery end being configured to direct most of the laser radiation emitted therefrom along an axis transverse to said tubular member and towards said vessel.

2. A fiber optic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the end of said tubular member is curved.