Device and method for dilation of a tubular anatomical structure
AssigneePhotothrombotics, Inc.
InventorsBrant D. Watson, Henry W Van Vurst, IV
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Abstract
Described is a method and device for dilating a tubular anatomical structure. The device and method can be useful for extracting a blood clot in an artery of a mammal by concentrically irradiating an inner wall of the occluded artery using an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam delivered by an optical fiber having an external or inverted conical tip. Dilation results from photophysical production and release of nitric oxide from the cells lining the arterial wall when UV laser light is projected as a ring beam onto the inner arterial wall. This “minimal contact persistent dilation system” prepares the artery for safer mechanical extraction by thrombectomy, owing to decrease in friction and dissolution of chemical bonding.
Claims25
A dilation system for dilating a tubular anatomical structure using UV laser light, said dilation system comprising an optical fiber and a UV laser light source, the optical fiber having a distal end configured as an external projecting cone shape and capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam and emitting into water an annular beam at an emission angle β up to 71.5° from a central longitudinal axis of the optical fiber.
A method for dilating a tubular anatomical structure in a body of a patient, said method comprising:
- providing a dilation system comprising a catheter housing, an optical fiber for carrying UV laser light from a UV laser light source, wherein the optical fiber has a distal end selected from an external projecting cone configuration and an inverted cone configuration, wherein the external projecting cone configuration is capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam and emitting into water an annular beam at an emission angle β up to 71.5° from a central longitudinal axis of the optical fiber, and the inverted cone configuration is capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam and emitting into water an annular beam at an emission angle β 20° to 56° from a central longitudinal axis of the optical fiber;
- emitting from the distal end of the optical fiber, UV laser light energy as an annular beam onto smooth muscle cells of an inner wall of the tubular anatomical structure to stimulate production and release of nitric oxide (NO) from stores of nitrites (NO2−) in the smooth muscle cells, whereby the nitric oxide causes relaxation of the smooth muscle and dilation of the tubular anatomical structure.
A dilation system for dilating a tubular anatomical structure using UV laser light, said dilation system comprising an optical fiber and a UV laser light source, the optical fiber having a distal end configured as an inverted cone shape and capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam and emitting into water an annular beam at an emission angle β of 20° to 56° from a central longitudinal axis of the optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.