Cryotherapy method for detecting and treating vulnerable plaque
AssigneeUryovascular Systems, Inc.
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.
Claims19
A method for treating vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel, the vulnerable plaque releasably retaining fluid, said method comprising:
- identifying a portion of the vasculature for inhibiting release of the retained fluid;
- determining a plaque location is within the identified portion of the vasculature;
- 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;
- and
- in response to the determining step, selectively cooling the vulnerable plaque at the plaque location to a temperature sufficient to inhibit release of the retained fluid into the blood vessel by introducing cooling fluid into the balloon of the balloon catheter so that the temperature of an outer surface of the balloon is in a range from about 10° C. to −40° C. for a time period in a range from about 15 to 120 seconds.
A method as in clam 7, further comprising inhibiting apoptosis of tissue adjacent the lipid-rich liquid.
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 by inflating a balloon of the balloon catheter so that a gas within the balloon is at a temperature of about 30° C. or more;
- and
- cooling the vulnerable plaque, with the balloon catheter, to a temperature sufficient to inhibit release of the retained fluid into the blood vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.