Fiber optic laser catheter and method of using it
OwnerJeffrey I. Levatterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fiber optic laser catheter assembly for use in removing, or largely debulking, obstructions or occlusions from a lumen in a living body. The catheter assembly includes an outer tubular sheath, an optical fiber extending through the sheath, and a fiber guide for holding the fiber within the sheath. In all of the disclosed embodiments, the obstructions are removed by controllably positioning an optical fiber's distal tip in a succession of selected radial and circumferential positions so as to sculpt away the obstruction without substantial risk of mechanically or thermally damaging the vessel. Several of the embodiments are configured such that the portion of the occlusion that can be reliably sculpted away has a radius greater even than the radius of the catheter assembly itself.
Claims23
Catheter apparatus for use with a laser in removing obstructions from a lumen of a living body, comprising:
- a tubular outer sheath sized to be received within a lumen of a living body, the sheath having a longitudinal axis and a distal end proximal to an obstruction to be removed;
- positioning means located, at least in part, radially outwardly of the sheath, for engaging the lumen wall and positioning the outer sheath at a selected radial position within the lumen;
- an optical fiber extending through the sheath and having a proximal end attachable to a laser and a distal end located immediately adjacent to the obstruction;
- and
- fiber guide means located within the sheath and adapted to support the optical fiber's distal end, the fiber guide means being rotatable within the sheath, about the sheath's longitudinal axis, and being further configured so as to allow the fiber's distal tip to be positioned at any selected radial and circumferential location relative to the sheath, such that the catheter apparatus can cooperate with the laser to remove at least a portion of the obstruction, without damaging the lumen wall.
A method for removing an obstruction from a lumen of a living body, comprising steps of:
- providing a catheter assembly having
- a tubular outer sheath sized to be received within a lumen of a living body, the sheath having a longitudinal axis and a distal end,
- an actuatable positioning device located, at least in part, radially outwardly of the sheath, near the sheath's distal end,
- an optical fiber extending through the sheath and having a proximal end attachable to a laser and a distal end located at or near the sheath'distal end, and
- fiber guide means located within the sheath and adapted to support the optical fiber's distal end, the fiber guide means being rotatable within the sheath, about the sheath's longitudinal axis, and being further configured so as to allow the fiber's distal tip to be positioned at any selected radial and circumferential location relative to the sheath;
- positioning the catheter assembly within a lumen of the living body, with the sheath's distal end proximal to an obstruction to be removed;
- actuating the positioning device of the catheter assembly to engage a portion of the lumen wall spaced from the obstruction and thereby fix the sheath's distal end within the lumen;
- and
- controllably positioning the optical fiber's distal tip, at least in part, by manipulating the fiber guide means, while energizing the laser, such that a laser beam is transmitted to selected radial and circumferential positions within the lumen, to remove at least a portion of the obstruction, without damaging the lumen wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.