Assemblies and methods for advancing a guide wire through body tissue
First Claim
1. A guide wire assembly comprising:
- a guide wire having a first end, and a second end and a bore extending between said first end and said second end; and
at least one guidance system coupled to said guide wire, said guidance system comprising a first optic fiber for propagating a sampling light beam, said first optic fiber having a first end and a second end, a second optic fiber for propagating a reference light beam, said second optic fiber having a first end and a second end, a reference mirror positioned adjacent said second optic fiber second end, and a detecting element communicatively coupled to said first ends of said first and second optic fibers, said first optic fiber coupled to said guide wire so that said first optic fiber second end is adjacent said second end of said guide wire, wherein said guide wire second end is configured to direct the sampling light beam substantially coaxially with respect to said guide wire second end, wherein said detecting element is configured to determine interference between the sampling light beam and the reference light beam, and wherein said guidance system is configured to determine the safety of advancing said guide wire second end a predetermined distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for advancing a guide wire through body tissue are described. In one form, the guide wire includes an interferometric guidance system and a tissue removal member. The interferometric guidance system is coupled to the guide wire and includes a first optic fiber, a second optic fiber, and a detecting element. The first optic fiber includes a first end and a second end, and extends through a guide wire bore so that the second end is adjacent the guide wire second end. The second optic fiber of the guidance system similarly includes a first end and a second end, and a reference mirror is positioned adjacent the second optic fiber second end. The detecting element is configured to determine interference between a light beam propagating through the first optic fiber and a light beam propagating through the second optic fiber. The tissue removal member also is coupled to the guide wire and is configured to create a path through body tissue so that the guide wire may be advanced therethrough. A treatment laser to ablate tissue may also be used to open a channel through the plaque. A guide wire or centering catheter may be used to facilitate this maneuver.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A guide wire assembly comprising:
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a guide wire having a first end, and a second end and a bore extending between said first end and said second end; and at least one guidance system coupled to said guide wire, said guidance system comprising a first optic fiber for propagating a sampling light beam, said first optic fiber having a first end and a second end, a second optic fiber for propagating a reference light beam, said second optic fiber having a first end and a second end, a reference mirror positioned adjacent said second optic fiber second end, and a detecting element communicatively coupled to said first ends of said first and second optic fibers, said first optic fiber coupled to said guide wire so that said first optic fiber second end is adjacent said second end of said guide wire, wherein said guide wire second end is configured to direct the sampling light beam substantially coaxially with respect to said guide wire second end, wherein said detecting element is configured to determine interference between the sampling light beam and the reference light beam, and wherein said guidance system is configured to determine the safety of advancing said guide wire second end a predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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18. A method for advancing a guide wire through a blood vessel utilizing at least one laser interferometric system for generating interference data, the guide wire including a first end, a second end, and a bore extending therebetween, each laser interferometric system including a first optic fiber, a second optic fiber, and a detecting element communicatively coupled to both the first optic fiber and the second optic fiber, said method comprising the steps of:
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extending the first optic fiber of at least one laser interferometric system through the guide wire bore; inserting the guide wire at least partially into the blood vessel; and utilizing the interference data to determine the safety of advancing the guide wire second end a predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. Guide wire apparatus comprising:
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a guide wire having a first end and a second end; an interferometry system coupled to said guide wire; a laser treatment system coupled to said guide wire; and an optical fiber utilized by both said interferometry system and said laser treatment system, said optical fiber having a first end and a second end, said optic fiber coupled to said guide wire so that said optic fiber second end is adjacent said guide wire second end, wherein said interferometry system is configured to determine the safety of advancing said guide wire second end though a tissue at a predetermined distance from said second end of said optic fiber.
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23. Guide wire apparatus comprising:
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a guide wire having a first end and a second end; an interferometry system coupled to said guide wire; a laser treatment system coupled to said guide wire; and at least two optical fibers, said optical fibers each having a first end and a second end, at least one of said optical fibers utilized by said interferometry system and at least one of said optical fibers utilized by said laser treatment system, said at least one optical fiber utilized by said interferometric system coupled to said guide wire so that said second end of said optic fiber utilized by said interferomteric system is adjacent said guide wire second end, wherein said interferometry system is configured to determine the safety of advancing said guide wire second end though a tissue at a predetermined distance from said second end of said optic fiber utilized by said interferometric system.
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Specification