Myocardial revascularization through the endocardial surface using a laser
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorsValluvan Jeevanandam, Craig R. Smith
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Abstract
Myocardial revascularization is performed by an apparatus and method which forms channels in the myocardium from inside the ventricular cavity without penetrating the full thickness of the ventricular wall. A catheter has a fiber optic connected at its handling end to a laser, and terminates at the insertable end of the catheter. A servomotor controls the advancing of the fiber to stop positions relative to the catheter. At each stop position another channel is created. An aiming beam aids in directing the channel forming fiber end to different desired channel positions.
Claims10
In a patient, a method for myocardial revascularization of the heart, comprising:
- positioning a channel forming energy emitter and an aiming beam emitter for producing an aiming beam which is substantially parallel to emitted energy from the channel forming energy emitter, which is offset by a predetermined distance from said emitted energy, and which identifies a location of emitted energy from the channel forming energy emitter inside the ventricle of the heart;
- locating an aiming beam energy detector outside the heart at a position adjacent a desired channel forming site;
- detecting the aiming beam energy with the aiming beam energy detector to thereby indicate that the channel forming energy emitter is directed to the desired channel forming site;
- and
- directing energy from the channel forming energy emitter toward the ventricular wall in an amount sufficient to form at least one channel in the ventricular wall into the myocardium to thereby increase blood flow from the endocardium to the myocardium after the channel forming energy emitter is directed to the desired channel forming site.
In a patient, a method for myocardial revascularization of the heart, comprising:
- entering the ventricle of the heart with a catheter having a lumen which houses a fiber which emits channel forming energy and aiming beam energy in substantially parallel beams at a fiber end, said channel forming energy and said aiming beam energy being offset from one another by a predetermined distance;
- locating the fiber end proximate to the ventricular wall;
- locating an aiming beam energy detector outside the heart at a position adjacent a desired channel forming site;
- detecting the aiming beam energy with the aiming beam energy detector to thereby indicate that the fiber which emits channel forming energy is directed to the desired channel forming site;
- and
- emitting channel forming energy from said fiber end in an amount sufficient to form a channel in the ventricular wall into the myocardium to thereby increase myocardial blood flow from the endocardium to the myocardium after the fiber end is directed to the desired channel forming site.
In a patient, a method for myocardial revascularization of the heart, comprising:
- positioning an energy emitter carrier including a channel forming energy emitter and an aiming beam emitter having an aiming beam which is substantially parallel to emitted energy from the channel forming energy emitter, which is offset by a predetermined distance from said omitted energy, and which identifies a location of the emitted energy from the channel forming energy emitter inside the ventricle of the heart, said energy emitter carrier further including an electromagnet;
- locating an aiming beam energy detector including a metallic object outside the heart at a position adjacent a desired channel forming site;
- and
- directing energy from the channel forming energy emitter toward the ventricular wall in an amount sufficient to form at least one channel in the ventricular wall into the myocardium to thereby increase blood flow from the endocardium to the myocardium after said electromagnet is energized and said metallic object is pulled adjacent thereto and after the aiming beam energy detector detects aiming beam energy to thereby indicate that the channel forming energy emitter is directed to the desired channel forming site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.