Excimer laser angioplasty system
First Claim
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1. An angioplasty system, comprising:
- an elongated catheter that is adapted to fit within a human blood vessel, said catheter having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal lumen that is open to said distal end for receiving a guidewire;
a plurality of fiber-optic waveguides in said catheter each having an energy-conducting core made of synthetic silica that is substantially free of metallic impurities, and extending to said distal end for emitting energy conducted therethrough in a direction generally forwardly of said distal end of said catheter; and
a pulsed XeCl Excimer laser having an output wavelength of about 308 nm, with each pulse having a duration between 100 nsec and 3000 nsec and being coupled into a proximal end of said fiber-optic waveguides at a density of at least 50 mJ/mm2 to ablate atherosclerotic plaque in a blood vessel.
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Abstract
A fiber-optic waveguide, used for ablating lesions in blood vessels, is mounted within and guided by a catheter having multiple lumens extending therethrough and parallel to each other. The waveguide fits within at least one lumen and a guidewire, previously inserted in a blood vessel, extends through another lumen. The distal end of the waveguide can have a short section of larger diameter fiber fused to it to cause a laser beam transmitted through the fiber to expand as it emerges from the waveguide to provide a larger ablation area. The waveguide may also be connected to an energy source by means of an energy coupler.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An angioplasty system, comprising:
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an elongated catheter that is adapted to fit within a human blood vessel, said catheter having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal lumen that is open to said distal end for receiving a guidewire; a plurality of fiber-optic waveguides in said catheter each having an energy-conducting core made of synthetic silica that is substantially free of metallic impurities, and extending to said distal end for emitting energy conducted therethrough in a direction generally forwardly of said distal end of said catheter; and a pulsed XeCl Excimer laser having an output wavelength of about 308 nm, with each pulse having a duration between 100 nsec and 3000 nsec and being coupled into a proximal end of said fiber-optic waveguides at a density of at least 50 mJ/mm2 to ablate atherosclerotic plaque in a blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An angioplasty system, comprising:
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an elongated catheter that is adapted to fit within a human blood vessel, said catheter having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal lumen that is open to said distal end for receiving a guidewire; a plurality of fiber-optic waveguides disposed around said guidewire lumen in said catheter, and each having an energy-conducting core made of synthetic silica that is substantially free of metallic impurities, a glass material cladding surrounding said core, and a diameter no greater than about 200 microns, and extending to said distal end for emitting energy conducted therethrough in a direction generally forwardly of said distal end of said catheter; and a pulsed XeCl Excimer laser having an output wavelength of about 308 nm, with each pulse having a duration between 100 nsec and 3000 nsec, and being coupled into a proximal end of said fiber-optic waveguides at a density of at least 50 mJ/mm2 to ablate atherosclerotic plaque in a blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification