Flow apparatus for the disruption of occlusions
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for pumping fluid in a body vessel, comprising:
- at least one optical fiber having a proximal end of a construction sufficient for coupling with a source of radiation and a distal end of a construction sufficient for delivering radiation therefrom, anda flow channel having an inlet port, said optical fiber distal end positioned within said flow channel relative to said inlet port such that radiation energy delivered to said fluid via said optical fiber causes a portion of said fluid to move through said inlet port into said flow channel.
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Abstract
The invention encompasses methods and apparatus for pumping fluid from one location to another through the repetitive expansion and collapse of bubbles generated as a result of the absorption of repetitive pulses of radiation in a fluid. This pumping phenomenon can be used to aid removal of a total or partial occlusion in a body passage by emulsifying the occlusion with acoustic shock and pressure waves or by mechanically disrupting the occlusive material.
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Citations
83 Claims
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1. An apparatus for pumping fluid in a body vessel, comprising:
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at least one optical fiber having a proximal end of a construction sufficient for coupling with a source of radiation and a distal end of a construction sufficient for delivering radiation therefrom, and a flow channel having an inlet port, said optical fiber distal end positioned within said flow channel relative to said inlet port such that radiation energy delivered to said fluid via said optical fiber causes a portion of said fluid to move through said inlet port into said flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 58, 59, 60)
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5. An apparatus for disrupting occlusive material that at least partially blocks a body vessel to the flow of fluid therein, comprising:
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at least a first optical fiber having a proximal end of a construction sufficient for coupling with a source of radiation and a distal end of a construction sufficient for delivering radiation therefrom, said distal end positioned in said vessel in the vicinity of said occlusive material; and a sheath having an inlet port, said distal end of said fiber positioned within said sheath relative to said inlet port such that introducing pulses of radiation energy into said vessel via said fiber causes fluid and/or occlusive material to move through the inlet port into the sheath, said apparatus causing at least a portion of the occlusive material to be disrupted. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. An apparatus for pumping a fluid that is in fluid communication therewith, comprising:
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a channel of a construction sufficient for a flow of the fluid through at least a distal portion thereof; means within said channel for delivering radiation energy to the fluid sufficient to cause a net displacement of at least a portion of the fluid from an initial location in a vicinity of the distal portion through the distal portion and into said channel. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, an elongated member therebetween, and an optical fiber distal tip disposed within said catheter, said catheter further having at least two openings distal from said proximal end and in fluid communication with one another, the first of said openings for permitting fluid from a vessel to enter said catheter and the second of said openings for permitting said fluid to exit said catheter, said first opening in the vicinity of the optical fiber distal tip.
Specification