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Catheter for laser angiosurgery

  • US 5,693,043 A
  • Filed: 04/03/1990
  • Issued: 12/02/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of recanalizing an obstructed lumen by removing successive layers of biological obstructing material so as to form a hole through said material by application of radiant energy comprising:

  • providing a catheter having waveguide means, the catheter having a distally located emission aperture for emission of said radiant energy in a beam propagating along a beam axis, said emission aperture having cross-sectional dimensions corresponding substantially to cross-sectional dimension of the catheter;

    inserting said catheter into said lumen to locate the emission aperture in proximity to the obstruction;

    directing said radiant energy through the waveguide means to cause emission of said beam from said emission aperture;

    controlling said emitted beam to define an unfocused working region extending distally from said emission aperture and around said axis in which the density of said energy is sufficient to cause said removal and so that portion of the beam which propagates distally beyond the working region will have insufficient energy density to cause said removal;

    said working region defining a cross-section substantially large enough to enable the catheter to be passed through a hole formed by the working region, the working region having an axially depth not substantially greater than about cross-sectional dimension of the catheter;

    applying the working region of the beam to the obstructing material thereby to form a hole by removal of said material to a depth no greater than about the axial extent of said working region; and

    advancing said catheter through said hole.

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