EP0195375A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Catheter for laser angiosurgery
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1986-03-14
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2006-03-14
Abstract
Abstract 57 A laser catheter is disclosed wherein optical fibers carrying laser light are mounted in a catheter for insertion into an artery to provide controlled delivery of a laser beam for percutaneous intravascular laser treatment of atherosclerotic disease. A transparent protective shield is provided at the distal end of the catheter for mechanically diplacing intravascular blood and protecting the fibers from the intravascular contents, as well as protecting the patient in the event of failure of the fiber optics. Multiple optical fibers allow the selection of tissue that is to be removed. A computer controlled system automatically aligns fibers with the laser and controls exposure time. Spectroscopic diagnostics determine what tissue is to be removed.
Inventors
- 👤 Carter Kittrell
- 👤 Robert M. Cothren, Jr.
- 👤 Michael S. Feld
- 👤 Barry A Sacks
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:39
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/03; B23K26/032; A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00064; A61B1/00071; A61B1/0008; A61B1/00096; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61B18/24; A61B18/245; A61B5/00; A61B5/0059; A61B5/0071; A61B5/0075; A61B5/0082; A61B5/0084; B23K26/06; B23K26/067; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/04; G02B6/24; G02B6/241; G02B6/42; G02B6/4296; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/2238; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/4738; G01N21/474; G01N2021/4742; G01N2021/4747; G02B6/10; G02B6/14; G02B6/26; G02B6/35; G02B6/3502; G02B6/3504; G02B6/3508; G02B6/351; G02B6/3512; G02B6/3516; G02B6/354; G02B6/3544; G02B6/3548; G02B6/3598
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
1 . A Laser catheter for arterial insertion and treatment of arterial tissue or obstructions located in arterial fluid comprising: a) a catheter; b) a fiber optic means disposed within the catheter including one or more optical fibers; c) an optical shield means on the distal end of the catheter for providing an optically transparent enclosure over the end of the catheter and a distal surface for displacing arterial fluid such that direct contact can be made by said distal surface with such tissue or obstructions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
86 words
1 . A Laser catheter for arterial insertion and treatment of arterial tissue or obstructions located in arterial fluid comprising: a) a catheter; b) a fiber optic means disposed within the catheter including one or more optical fibers; c) an optical shield means on the distal end of the catheter for providing an optically transparent enclosure over the end of the catheter and a distal surface for displacing arterial fluid such that direct contact can be made by said distal surface with such tissue or obstructions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the fiber optic means comprises a coherent optical fiber hurdle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 in which the sheld means comprises a window in the form of a tabular member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 in which the optcal shield means is lens shaped to direct the optical radiation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The .aser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the optical shield means is a flexible material which can be inflated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein an optical system is disposed adjacent said fiber(s) and control means wires are provided to move said elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the optical fibers are angled asymmetrically and aimed towards one side of the optical shield.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein means are provided for rotating or translating ends of the optical fiber(s) as a unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein portions of the catheter contain radio-opaque material so that such portions are observable under fluoroscopy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the optical shield has a thin transparent coating to resist adhering of tissue.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the catheter has a tubular body and a guide wire is disposed adjacent to the body.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser catheter of Claim 11 wherein an adjustable distance is provided between the optical shield and the guide wire.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
13 . The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein means are provided to direct the light exiting the optical shield means to exit at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the laser catheter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
81 words
A laser cannula for insertion into tissue comprising: a) a tubular cannula; b) a fiber optic means disposed within the cannula including one or more optical fibers having an inner core and an outer cladding; c) an optical shield means enclosing the distal end of the cannula for providing a light transparent enclosure at or near the end of the cannula and a distal surface such that direct contact can be made by said distal surface with such tissue or obstructions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
81 words
A laser cannula for insertion into tissue comprising: a) a tubular cannula; b) a fiber optic means disposed within the cannula including one or more optical fibers having an inner core and an outer cladding; c) an optical shield means enclosing the distal end of the cannula for providing a light transparent enclosure at or near the end of the cannula and a distal surface such that direct contact can be made by said distal surface with such tissue or obstructions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser cannula of Claim 14 wherein said cannula has an angled and sharpened distal tip designed for insertion into tissue.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The laser cannula of Claim 14 wherein means are provided to bend or change the shape of the distal end of said catheter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the laser catheter produces angled laser light output and is capable of rotary motion to cut tissue with a helical motion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser catheter of Claim 1 wherein the fibers are held in an array at the proximal end.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The laser catheter of Claim 18 wherein said array is comprised of optical fibers bonded together and optically polished as a unit.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
222 words
A method for treatment of lesions or obstructions in tissue of a body vessel or cavity comprising the steps of: a) providing a catheter with a plurality of optical fibers in which the distal end of the catheter is enclosed by an optical shield transparent to light radiation and wherein the proximal end of the catheter and optical fibers may be coupled to a laser or other light source; b) inserting said catheter into said body vessel or cavity until the optical shield is brought into contact with a suspected lesion or obstruction; c) selecting an optical fiber such that radiation will fall on tissue or obstruction to be treated; and coupling laser radiation of appropriate power and energy into the proximal end of said selected fiber whereby such radiation is transmitted through said fiber to the distal end to irradiate and thereby remove the selected tissue or obstruction; d) repeating the above steps with other optical fibers until all tissue or obstruction adjacent to the optical shield has been treated and/or removed as needed; e) repositioning the catheter and optical shield forward or laterally so as to bring it in contact with or adjacent to additional tissue or obstruction to be treated, and repeating the above steps as needed until all the desired tissue or obstruction has been treated or removed.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
222 words
A method for treatment of lesions or obstructions in tissue of a body vessel or cavity comprising the steps of: a) providing a catheter with a plurality of optical fibers in which the distal end of the catheter is enclosed by an optical shield transparent to light radiation and wherein the proximal end of the catheter and optical fibers may be coupled to a laser or other light source; b) inserting said catheter into said body vessel or cavity until the optical shield is brought into contact with a suspected lesion or obstruction; c) selecting an optical fiber such that radiation will fall on tissue or obstruction to be treated; and coupling laser radiation of appropriate power and energy into the proximal end of said selected fiber whereby such radiation is transmitted through said fiber to the distal end to irradiate and thereby remove the selected tissue or obstruction; d) repeating the above steps with other optical fibers until all tissue or obstruction adjacent to the optical shield has been treated and/or removed as needed; e) repositioning the catheter and optical shield forward or laterally so as to bring it in contact with or adjacent to additional tissue or obstruction to be treated, and repeating the above steps as needed until all the desired tissue or obstruction has been treated or removed.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
153 words
The method of treatment of Claim 20 wherein prior to application of sufficient power to remove or treat the tissue or obstruction, low power light is coupled from a light source to the proximal end of said optical fiber whereby the light enters the proximal end of the laser fiber and the light is transmitted to the distal end of said fiber out the optical shield to impinge on the tissue or obstruction and the scattered and fluorescent light is returned to the proximal end of a selected optical fiber and is coupled to a spectral analyzer wherein it is determined if the material contacted by or adjacent to the optical shield and, in particular, the portion irradiated by the incident light from the selected optical fiber, is healthy material or other material; and, in the event that the material is to be treated or removed proceeding with step (c) of Claim 20.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of Claim 21 wherein the low power light has a wavelength of about 480 nm and the material to be removed is atheromateous plaque.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of Claim 22 wherein the ratio of the fluorescence peak heights at 550 nm and 600 nm and the valley at 580 nm are used in the determination.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of Claim 20 wherein the proximal ends of the optical fibers are aligned in an array which may be translated past the source of laser radiation.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of Claim 20 in which the proximal ends of the optical fibers are aligned in an array and the source of laser radiation is directed onto them by a rotating mirror.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of Claim 20 wherein an appropriate spectral or temporal analysis is stored in computer memory for any fiber, forming a "map" of tissue types adjacent to the catheter; and when an appropriate fiber is selected, laser radiation is coupled into the proximal end of said fiber, thereby treating or removing corresponding tissue at the distal end of said fiber.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
33 words
The catheter of Claim 1 wherein the optical shield means comprises a tube of fused silica glass or other material softened with heat and closed to make a rounded or hemispherical distal end.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
45 words
The catheter of Claim 1 wherein the shield means comprises a rod of optically clear material inserted into a tube of said material and fused, then the rod is cut at the distal end and the completed assembly is optically finished on the distal end.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
61 words
The catheter of Claim 1 including a device for retaining the optical fibers in a fixed position near the distal end of the catheter comprising a tubular plug adapted to be affixed to the inner surface of said catheter; said plug having spaced longitudinal holes extending through the plug into which the fibers extend and are received in spaced apart relationship.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
34 words
The catheter of Claim 29 in which the optical fibers and the plug are optically ground and polished as a unit to form an optically finished surface on the distal end of the device.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
22 words
The catheter of Claim 29 wherein said fibers are arranged at skew angles, allowing beams of light to exit at various angles.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The catheter of Claim 1 further including a mode mixer for mixing the modes of said optical fibers by creating microbends on the fibers.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
The catheter of Claim 32 wherein the mode mixer comprises a hard body with an irregular surface and a body of material adjacent thereto for pressing the optical fibers against said irregular surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.