Method of controlling laser energy removal of plaque to prevent vessel wall damage

A method of removing an obstruction from a vessel of the cardiovascular system with laser energy, comprising:

• advancing a laser delivery catheter within the vessel to a position in proximity with a targeted lesion in the vessel;
• placing a laser energy sensor in a monitoring position adapted to sense laser energy from the catheter that passes beyond the lesion;
• propagating laser energy through the catheter toward the lesion to subject the lesion to the laser energy;
• and
• controlling the laser energy according to the output of the sensor.

A method of removing an obstruction from a vessel of the cardiovascular system with a laser delivery catheter having a plurality of laser delivery fibers and a sensor fiber, comprising:

• advancing the catheter to a position in which the distal end of the laser delivery fibers are in proximity with a targeted lesion and the sensor fiber extends beyond the lesion to a position adapted to sense laser energy passing beyond the lesion;
• propagating laser energy through at least one of the laser delivery fibers toward the lesion;
• processing the output of the sensor to produce an electrical signal to be used in controlling the laser energy according to the level of laser energy passing beyond the lesion as indicated by the output of the sensor;
• and
• deactivating the laser energy with the electrical signal in the event more than a predetermined amount of laser energy passes beyond the lesion.

A laser delivery catheter, comprising:

• a catheter body adapted to be advanced within a vessel to a position in which a distal end of the catheter body is in proximity with a targeted lesion;
• at least one laser delivery fiber extending within the catheter body to the distal end through which to propagate laser energy toward the lesion;
• and
• a sensor fiber extending within the catheter body and beyond the distal end to a position sufficiently beyond the distal end to extend through an opening in the lesion to a monitoring position beyond the lesion.

A laser delivery catheter, comprising:

• a catheter body adapted to be advanced within a vessel to a position in which a distal end of the catheter body is in proximity with a targeted lesion;
• at least one laser delivery fiber extending within the catheter body to the distal end through which to propagate laser energy toward the lesion;
• and
• a sensor fiber extending within the catheter body, which sensor fiber is adapted to be selectively extended beyond the distal end to a position sufficiently beyond the distal end to extend through an opening in the lesion to a monitoring position beyond the lesion.

A laser delivery system, comprising:

• a catheter adapted to be advanced within a vessel to a position in which a distal end of the catheter is in proximity with a targeted lesion;
• at least one laser delivery fiber extending within the catheter to the distal end through which to propagate laser energy toward the lesion;
• and
• a laser energy sensor adapted to be placed in a monitoring position beyond the lesion and sense laser energy propagated through the laser delivery fibers that passes beyond the lesion;
• whereby the output of the sensor can be used to control the propagation of laser energy through the fiber in order to subject the lesion to laser energy without damaging the vessel wall beyond the lesion;
• and
• wherein the laser energy sensor includes a sensor fiber extending within the catheter, which sensor fiber is adapted to be selectively extended beyond the distal end to a position sufficiently beyond the distal end to extend through an opening in the lesion to the monitoring position.