Photoatherolytic catheter apparatus and method

• US 7,214,223 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Mueller, Richard L., Chee, U. Hiram
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay; David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/816,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,238 Days
• Field of Search: 606/7, 606/10, 606 15- 17, 607/88, 607/89
• US Class Current: 606/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/245 for removing obstructions in blood vessels or calculi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2261 with scattering, diffusion or dispersion of light
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0057 Photodynamic therapy with a photosensitizer, i.e. agent able to produce reactive oxygen species upon exposure to light or radiation, e.g. UV or visible light; photocleavage of nucleic acids with an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0071 PDT with porphyrins having exactly 20 ring atoms, i.e. based on the non-expanded tetrapyrrolic ring system, e.g. bacteriochlorin, chlorin-e6, or phthalocyanines
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/6957 the form being a device or a kit, e.g. stents or microdevices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0602 for treatment of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating an atherosclerotic target region of a coronary vessel in a patient are disclosed. The method includes delivering to the patient, a photoatherolytic compound, to cause accumulation of the compound in the target region, accessing the target region intraluminally with a guidewire, and advancing over the guidewire, a catheter having (i) a proximal main-body sleeve, (ii) a flexible, non-inflatable, translucent distal-end sleeve joined to the main-body sleeve at a catheter juncture, and (iii) an inner lumen extending through the two sleeves, said advancing being effective to position the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve within the target region. The guidewire is then removed and replaced by a fiber-optic bundle having a light-diffusing tip, until said tip is positioned adjacent the catheter juncture. After injecting a light-transmissive fluid through the catheter into the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve, the target vessel region is irradiated by passing a laser light beam through the fiber optic bundle.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in treating an atherosclerotic target region of a coronary vessel in a patient, comprising

a guidewire for accessing the target region intraluminally,

a catheter having (i) a proximal main-body sleeve associated with a handle, (ii) a flexible, non-inflatable, translucent distal-end sleeve joined to the main-body sleeve at a catheter juncture, and (iii) an inner lumen extending through the two sleeves, through which lumen the catheter can be advanced over the guidewire to position the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve within the target region,

a fiber-optic bundle having a light-diffusing tip, said bundle being adapted for introduction into and slidably associated with the catheter lumen after the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve is positioned within the target region, and the guidewire is removed;

a proximal-end catheter port through which a light-transmissive fluid can be injected through the catheter into the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve, and

a proximal-end optical connector to which the fiber-optic bundle can be connected to a laser source, for irradiating the atherosclerotic target region by passing a laser light beam through the fiber optic bundle,

such that the laser beam is distributed along the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve, for transmission through the sleeve, by light scattering produced by (i) the light-diffusing tip, (ii) the light-transmissive fluid injected into the catheter'"'"'s distal-end sleeve and (iii) the distal-end sleeve, and where the scattered light transmitted through the sleeve is effective to photoactivate a photoatherolytic compound contained in the target region; and

wherein the handle comprises a first syringe containing a light-transmissive fluid and a second syringe containing a contrast fluid;

wherein the handle further comprises first and second indicator lights configured to indicate the flow of the light-transmissive fluid and the contrast fluid;

wherein the catheter further comprises a sensor, and

wherein the sensor is configured to activate the first and second indicator lights.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is located at the distal end of the catheter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handle permits for intermittent injections of both the light-transmissive fluid and the contrast fluid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the handle further comprises a timer and a switching device configured to automatically inject the light-transmissive fluid and contrast fluid.