Hybrid catheter for vascular intervention

A method of removing an undesirable material from a vasculature within a body, the method comprising:

• placing a catheter within the vasculature proximate the undesirable material, wherein the catheter includes an energy emitting element;
• providing an energy via the energy emitting element at a tip section of the catheter that modifies a biological characteristic of the undesirable material;
• and
• detaching the modified undesirable material from the vasculature using a cutter, wherein distal ends of the energy emitting element and the cutter at an end of the tip section are substantially coplanar, with the cutter being positioned outside a path of the energy.

A method of removing a calcified plaque from a vessel within a body, the method comprising:

• placing a catheter within the vessel proximate the calcified plaque, wherein the catheter includes an energy emitting element;
• providing an energy via the energy emitting element at a tip section of the catheter that fractures the calcified plaque;
• and
• detaching the fractured calcified plaque from the vessel using a cutter, wherein distal ends of the energy emitting element and the cutter at an end of the tip section are substantially coplanar, with the cutter being positioned outside a path of the energy.

A method of removing a calcified plaque from a vessel within a body, the method comprising:

• placing a catheter within the vessel proximate the calcified plaque, wherein the catheter includes at least one fiber optic element;
• providing a pulsed laser energy via the at least one fiber optic element at a tip section of the catheter that fractures the calcified plaque;
• and
• detaching the fractured calcified plaque from the vessel using a cutter, wherein distal ends of the at least one fiber optic element and the cutter at an end of the tip section are substantially coplanar, with the cutter being positioned outside a path of the energy.