Method of and apparatus for laser treatment of body lumens

Abstract

Abstract A laser microsurgical method and apparatus for safely treating occluded body lumens with laser energy. The disclosed method involves the use of pulsed laser energy from an argon-ion laser (62) to destroy the tissue of luminal occlusions, such as a theromatous plaque and the like, with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue. A flexible catheter (10) and associated laser microsurgical system is also disclosed which provides for aiming of the fibers (18) to transmit the laser beam at the distal end of the catheter and rotational positioning of the catheter to permit coverage of virtually the entire cross-sectional area of the lumen.

Inventors

• 👤 Kenneth R. Fox
• 👤 A. Arthur Coster

Bibliographic Details