Method of medical treatment using an excimer laser on organic tissue in biological systems at a pathological situs

Abstract

Abstract Excimer radiation in the range of 248-400nm does not operate by the same thermal processes which restrict the medical use of conventional lasers in medicine. Radiation from an excimer laser (10) is delivered to pathological sites in the body through optical means (25). In one embodiment, the radiation is conveyed by means of a fused silica fiberoptic waveguide (25) through a hollow catheter (27) which is inserted into the vasculature for ultimate delivery to the atherosclerotic lesion in the coronary arteries. In another embodiment the excimer laser radiation is delivered to the pathological situs in the body by endoscopic means (28). In another embodiment the excimer laser radiation is delivered to the pathological situs in the body by means of a focusing lens (29). As a result of the excimer laser's relative lack of thermal destructive effects on tissues adjacent to the incident beam, and the capacity for highly localized delivery, the clinical utility of laser radiation in surgical procedures is substantially enhanced by use of this invention.

Inventors

• 👤 Warren Scott Grundfest

Bibliographic Details