Cryotherapy method for detecting and treating vulnerable plaque
AssigneeCRYOVASCULAR SYSTEMS, INC., A Delaware Corporation
InventorsJames Joye, Kristine Tatsutani, Joseph J. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and kits detect and/or treat vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel. A temperature differential can be sensed along a lumen surface with temperature sensors on a balloon filled with warm gas. Treatment methods include controlled and safe cryogenic cooling of vulnerable plaque to inhibit release of retained fluid within the vulnerable plaque so as to inhibit acute coronary syndrome and to help maintain patency of a body lumen.
Claims41
A method for treating vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel, the vulnerable plaque releasably retaining fluid, said method comprising:
- selectively cooling the vulnerable plaque to a temperature sufficient to inhibit release of the retained fluid into the blood vessel.
2 A method as in claim 1, further comprising identifying a portion of the vasculature for inhibiting release of the retained fluid, and determining a plaque location is within the identified portion of the vasculature, wherein the cooling step is performed at the plaque location in response to the determining step.
3 A method as in claim 1, further comprising differentiating the vulnerable plaque from standard stenotic plaque.
A method as in claim 3, further comprising introducing a catheter into a lumen of the blood vessel and positioning a balloon of the catheter within the vessel lumen adjacent the vulnerable plaque, wherein the differentiating step comprises sensing a temperature of a tissue adjacent the balloon while the balloon is inflated with a gas.
A method for treating vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel, the vulnerable plaque releasably retaining fluid, said method comprising:
- detecting the vulnerable plaque with a balloon catheter;
- and
- cooling the vulnerable plaque, with the balloon catheter, to a temperature sufficient to inhibit release of the retained fluid into the blood vessel.
A method for detecting vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel, said method comprising:
- positioning a balloon within the vessel lumen adjacent a plaque;
- inflating the balloon with a gas so that a plurality of temperature sensors affixed to the balloon are thermally coupled to a surface of the vessel lumen;
- and
- sensing a temperature differential along the lumen surface with the sensors.
A catheter for detecting vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel having a lumen surface, said catheter comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end with a supply lumen and an exhaust lumen extending therebetween;
- a balloon disposed at the distal end of the catheter body, the balloon in fluid communication with the supply lumen and exhaust lumen;
- an inflation supply in fluid communication with the supply lumen at the proximal end of the catheter body, the inflation supply configured to inflate the balloon with a gas when detecting the vulnerable plaque;
- and
- a plurality of temperature sensors affixed to the balloon so as to provide temperature measurements of the lumen surface.
A kit for treating vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel, the vulnerable plaque releasably retaining fluid, the kit comprising:
- a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cooling member;
- and
- instructions for use of the catheter, said instructions comprising the step of cooling the blood vessel adjacent the vulnerable plaque to inhibit release of the retained fluid into the blood vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.