Angioplasty catheter and method of use thereof

A method for removing undesired material from a duct within a patient's body by use of a catheter capable of transmitting laser energy, the catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, said distal end portion being adapted to be inserted within a duct in the patient's body, the catheter having means disposed adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter for intersecting and releasing undesired material from the interior of the duct when the distal end portion of the catheter is disposed adjacent to the undesired material, said means comprising the catheter having an open chamber disposed therein and formed by a bottom wall portion extending along the length of the catheter and a first and a second abutment extending radially from respective outer portions that intersect the outer surface of the catheter to opposite end portions respectively of the bottom wall portion, the first abutment and the second abutment being spaced apart from one another along the length of the catheter with the second abutment disposed adjacent the distal end portion thereof, the first and second abutments being adapted to have the open chamber therebetween disposed adjacent to the inner surface of the duct for receiving undesired material therein when the outer portion of each of the first and second abutments is adjacent the inner surface of the duct with the second abutment being adapted to reflect at least a portion of the laser energy intercepted thereby as the undesired material is disintegrated,

• a fiber optic extending with the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to between the first and second abutments to deliver laser energy across the chamber formed by the first and second abutments and toward the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter when the fiber optic is connected to a source of laser energy, said chamber being capable of preventing the escape of laser energy applied in the chamber, and
• an additional fiber optic extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to the chamber to receive light energy emitted from the second abutment in response to laser energy directed thereto as the undesired material is disintegrated,
• an inflatable bladder mounted on the catheter adjacent the distal end portion thereof disposed substantially opposite the intersecting and releasing means;
• the method comprising the steps of placing the distal end portion of the catheter adjacent the undesired material;
• controllably inflating the bladder when the distal end portion of the catheter is adjacent the undesired material to enable the inflated bladder to contact the inner surface of the duct and urge the distal end portion of the catheter against the inner surface of the duct adjacent thereto;
• positioning the chamber adjacent to the undesired material,
• operating the means of intersecting and releasing the undesired material when positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the duct at the undesired material, and
• sensing the light energy received by the additional fiber optic, the light energy being indicative of the state of the releasing of the undesired material from the duct.

A method for removing undesired material from an interior surface of a blood vessel within a patient's body by use of a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, said distal end portion adapted to be inserted within a blood vessel in the patient's body, the catheter having means disposed adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter for intersecting and releasing undesired material from the interior of the blood vessel when the distal end portion of the catheter is disposed adjacent to the undesired material, an inflatable bladder mounted on the catheter adjacent the distal end portion thereof;

• the catheter further including an irrigation lumen extending through the length of the catheter for passing a flow of irrigation liquid to the distal end portion of the catheter, and a fiber optic to deliver laser energy extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to the distal end portion of the catheter;
• the method comprising the steps of
• inserting the distal end portion of the catheter into a blood vessel of the patient;
• placing the distal end portion of the catheter adjacent the undesired material;
• controllably inflating the bladder when the distal end portion of the catheter is adjacent the undesired material to enable the inflated bladder to contact the inner surface of the blood vessel and to urge the distal end portion of the catheter against the inner surface of the blood vessel adjacent thereto so as to immobilize the distal end portion of the catheter on the blood vessel;
• applying laser energy to the undesired material to release the material from the interior surface of the blood vessel without permitting the laser energy to impinge on the inner surface of the blood vessel;
• and delivering the irrigation liquid from the distal end portion of the catheter toward the undesired material to facilitate the release thereof from the blood vessel.

A catheter device for use in removing undesired material from a duct within a patient's body comprising a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion adapted to be inserted within a duct in the patient's body;

• means disposed adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter for intersecting and releasing undesired material from the interior of the duct in a patient's body when the distal end portion of the catheter is disposed adjacent to the undesired material, said means comprising the catheter having an open chamber disposed therein and formed by a bottom wall portion extending along the length of the catheter and a first and a second abutment extending radially from respective outer portions of the abutments that intersect the outer surface of the catheter to opposite end portions respectively of the bottom wall portion, the first abutment and the second abutment being spaced apart from one another along the length of the catheter with the second abutment disposed adjacent the distal end portion thereof, the first and second abutments being adapted to have the open chamber therebetween disposed adjacent the inner surface of the duct for receiving undesired material therein when the outer portion of each of the first and second abutments is urged against the inner surface of the duct, and a fiber optic extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to between the first and second abutments to deliver laser energy across the chamber formed by the first and second abutments and toward the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter when the fiber optic is connected to a source of laser energy, the second abutment preventing the laser energy from impinging on the inner surface of the duct,
• an inflatable bladder mounted on the catheter adjacent the distal end portion thereof disposed substantially opposite the intersecting and releasing means, and
• means for controllably inflating the bladder when the device is disposed in the duct to enable the inflated bladder to contact the inner surface of the duct and to urge the distal end portion of the catheter, including the first and second abutments, against the inner surface of the duct adjacent thereto,
• whereby the means for intersecting the releasing the undesired material is positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the duct.

A laser angioplasty catheter device comprising

• a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion adapted to be inserted within a blood vessel,
• the catheter having an open chamber disposed therein and formed by a bottom wall portion extending along the length of the catheter and a first and a second abutment extending radially from respective outer portions of the abutments that intersect the outer surface of the catheter to opposite end portions respectively of the bottom wall portion, the first abutment and the second abutment being spaced apart from one another along the length of the catheter with the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion thereof, the first and second abutments being adapted to have the open chamber therebetween disposed adjacent the inner surface of the blood vessel for receiving undesired material therein when the outer portion of each of the first and second abutments is adjacent the inner surface of the blood vessel, and
• a fiber optic extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to between the first and second abutments to deliver laser energy across the chamber formed by the first and second abutments and toward the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter when the fiber optic is connected to a source of laser energy, said chamber being capable of preventing the escape of laser energy applied in the chamber,
• whereby the laser energy is adapted to cause excision of material within the blood vessel when disposed between the first and second abutments with the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter blocking the laser energy from intersecting the inner wall of the blood vessel.

A method for removing undesired material from a duct within a patient's body by use of a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, sand distal end portion adapted to be inserted within a duct in the patient's body, the catheter having means disposed adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter for intersecting and releasing undesired material from the interior of the duct in a patient's body when the distal end portion of the catheter is disposed adjacent to the undesired material, and an inflatable bladder mounted on the catheter adjacent the distal end portion thereof disposed substantially opposite the intersecting and releasing means;

• the method comprising the steps of
• placing the distal end portion of the catheter adjacent the undesired material;
• controllably inflating the bladder when the distal end portion of the catheter is adjacent the undesired material to enable the inflated bladder to contact the inner surface of the duct and urge the distal end portion of the catheter against the inner surface of the duct adjacent thereto;
• and
• operating the means for intersecting and releasing undesired material when positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the blood vessel at the undesired material, said means including the catheter having an open chamber disposed therein and formed by a bottom wall portion extending along the length of the catheter and a first and second abutment extending radially from respective outer portions of the abutments that intersect the outer surface of the catheter to opposite end portions of the bottom portion, the first abutment and the second abutment being spaced apart from one another along the length of the catheter with the second abutment disposed adjacent the distal end portion thereof, the first and second abutments being adapted to having the open chamber therebetween disposed adjacent to the inner surface of the duct for receiving undesired material therein when the outer portion of each of the first and second abutments is adjacent the inner surface of the duct, and a fiber optic extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to between the first and second abutments to deliver laser energy across the chamber formed by the first and second abutments and toward the second abutments adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter when the fiber optic is connected to a source of laser energy, said chamber being capable of preventing the escape of laser energy applied in the chamber.

A method of removing undesired material from a duct within a patient's body by use of a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion adapted to be inserted within a duct, the catheter having an open chamber disposed therein and formed by a bottom wall portion extending along the length of the catheter and a first and a second abutments extending radially from respective outer portions of the abutments that intersect the outer surface of the catheter to opposite end portions respectively of the bottom wall portion, the first abutment and the second abutment being spaced apart from one another along the length of the catheter adjacent the distal end portion thereof, with the second abutment being adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter, the first and second abutments being adapted to have the open chamber therebetween disposed adjacent the inner surface of the duct for receiving undesired material therein when the outer portion of each of the first and second abutments is adjacent the inner surface of the duct, and a fiber optic extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to between the first and second abutments to deliver laser energy across the chamber formed by the first and second abutments and toward the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter when the fiber optic is connected to a source of laser energy, the method comprising the steps of positioning the chamber formed between the first and second abutments adjacent the undesired material within the duct, and

• applying laser energy emitted from the fiber optic into the undesired material in the chamber to excise the material, the second abutment adjacent the distal end of the catheter absorbing any laser energy impacting thereon.

A laser angioplasty catheter device comprising a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion adapted to be inserted within a duct,

• the catheter including having an open chamber disposed therein formed by a bottom wall portion extending along the length of the catheter and a first and second abutment extending radially from respective outer portions of the abutments that intersect the outer surface of the catheter opposite end portions respectively of the bottom wall portion, the first abutment and the second abutment being spaced apart from one another along the length of the catheter adjacent the distal end portion thereof with the second abutment being adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter, the first and second abutments being adapted to have the open chamber therebetween disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the duct for receiving undesired material therein when the outer portion of each of the first and second abutments are adjacent the inner surface of the duct,
• a fiber optic extending within the interior of the catheter from the proximal end portion thereof to between the first and second abutments to deliver laser energy across the chamber formed by the first and second abutments and toward the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter when the fiber optic is connected to a source of laser energy, said chamber being capable of preventing the escape of laser energy applied in the chamber,
• an inflatable bladder mounted on the catheter adjacent a portion thereof disposed substantially opposite to the first and second abutments, and
• means for controllably inflating the bladder when the device is disposed in a duct to enable the inflated bladder to contact the inner surface of the duct and to urge the first and second abutments against the inner surface of the duct adjacent thereto such that the open chamber between the pair of abutments is covered by the inner surface of the duct,
• whereby the laser energy is adapted to cause excision of material within the duct when disposed between the first and second abutments within the second abutment adjacent the distal end portion of the catheter blocking the laser energy from intersecting the inner wall of the duct.