EP0217165A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for laser treatment of body lumens
Assignee: Pillco LP
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Filing: 1986-09-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A laser microsurgical method and apparatus are disclosed for safely treating occluded body lumens with laser energy. The disclosed method involves the use of pulsed laser energy from an argon-ion laser (62) to destroy the tissue of luminal occlusions. such as atheromatous plaque and the like, with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue. A flexible catheter and associated laser microsurgical system is also disclosed which provides for aiming of the fibers (18a-18d) to transmit the laser beam at the distal end of the catheter and rotational positioning of the catheter to permit coverage of virtually the entire cross-sectional area of the lumen A lens system (46-48) at the distal end of each laser fiber minimizes beam divergence and directs the beam toward the central axis of the catheter. A further embodiment of the catheter of the invention provides an array of laser fibers (118) which are optically scanned (66) with laser energy to cover the cross-sectional area of the lumen. The system is designed to minimize the possibility of damage to or perforation of the surrounding tissue of the lumen.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth R. Fox
- 👤 A. Arthur Coster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:38
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61B18/24; A61B18/245; A61B34/00; A61B34/70; A61B34/72; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00137; A61B2017/00154; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22051; A61B2017/22082; A61B2018/00636; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3933; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A90/00; Y02A90/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
In a method of performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising the steps of inserting a catheter into said body lumen, said catheter having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means in said catheter for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal to said distal end, positioning the distal end of said catheter adjacent an obstruction in said lumen and transmitting laser energy through said fiber means to impinge upon said obstruction, the improvement wherein said laser energy is a non-continuous wave, pulsed argon-ion laser beam having a pulse duration in the range of from 5 to 200 milliseconds, a pulse repetition rate of from about 1 to 50 pulses per second and a duty cycle of from about 5 to 50%, said pulse duration, pulse repetition rate and duty cycle being selected to effect damage to said obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
In a method of performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising the steps of inserting a catheter into said body lumen, said catheter having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means in said catheter for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal to said distal end, positioning the distal end of said catheter adjacent an obstruction in said lumen and transmitting laser energy through said fiber means to impinge upon said obstruction, the improvement wherein said laser energy is a non-continuous wave, pulsed argon-ion laser beam having a pulse duration in the range of from 5 to 200 milliseconds, a pulse repetition rate of from about 1 to 50 pulses per second and a duty cycle of from about 5 to 50%, said pulse duration, pulse repetition rate and duty cycle being selected to effect damage to said obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said laser energy has a wavelength in the range of about 351 to 515 nanometers, a pulse energy in the range of from about 150 to 500 millijoules and a spot size of 500 microns or less.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said catheter has a plurality of said laser fiber means each with proximal and distal ends, said laser fiber means being arranged in a predetermined array about the longitudinal axis of the catheter and including the step of optically scanning the proximal ends of said laser fiber means with laser energy to impinge said laser energy upon a plurality of different areas of said obstruction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The improvement according to claim 3 including the step of skewing at least some of said beams of laser energy toward the longitudinal axis of said catheter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement according to claim 3, including the step of skewing at lease some of said beams of laser energy away from the longitudinal axis of said catheter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
144 words
In a method of per forming laser surgery in a body lumen comprising the steps of inserting a catheter into said body lumen, said catheter having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means in said catheter for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal to said distal end, positioning the distal end of said catheter adjacent an obstruction in said lumen and transmitting laser enrgy through said fiber means to impinge upon said obstruction, the improvement wherein said laser energy is a non-continuous wave, pulsed argon-ion laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy, and duty cycle selected to operate substantially at the threshold of the thermal relaxation time of the illuminated volume of the obstruction whereby damage is effected to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
144 words
In a method of per forming laser surgery in a body lumen comprising the steps of inserting a catheter into said body lumen, said catheter having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means in said catheter for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal to said distal end, positioning the distal end of said catheter adjacent an obstruction in said lumen and transmitting laser enrgy through said fiber means to impinge upon said obstruction, the improvement wherein said laser energy is a non-continuous wave, pulsed argon-ion laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy, and duty cycle selected to operate substantially at the threshold of the thermal relaxation time of the illuminated volume of the obstruction whereby damage is effected to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The improvement according to claim 6, wherein said pulse duration is in the range of from 5 to 200 milliseconds, said pulse repetition rate is in the range from about 1 to 50 pulses per second, said pulse energy is in the range from about 150 to 500 millijoules and said duty cycle is 50% or less.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The improvement according to claim 7, wherein said laser beam has a spot size of 500 microns or less.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
The improvement according to claim 6, wherein said catheter has a plurality of said laser fiber means each with proximal and distal ends, said laser fiber means being arranged in a predetermined array about the longitudinal axis of the catheter and including the step of optically scanning the proximal ends of said laser fiber means with laser energy to impinge said laser energy upon a plurality of different areas of said obstruction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement according to claim 9, including the step of skewing at least some of said beams of laser energy toward the longitudinal axis of said catheter .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement according to claim 9, including the step of skewing at least some of said beams of laser energy away from the longitudinal axis of said catheter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
150 words
In a method of per forming laser surgery in a body lumen comprising the steps of inserting a catheter into said body lumen, said catheter having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means in said catheter for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal to said distal end, positioning the distal end of said catheter adjacent an obstruction in said lumen and transmitting laser energy through said fiber means to impinge upon said obstruction, the improvement wherein said catheter has a plurality of said laser fiber means each with proximal and distal ends, said laser fiber means being arranged in a predetermined array about the longitudinal axis of the catheter, and including the step of optically scanning the proximal ends of said laser fiber means with laser energy to impinge said laser energy upon a plurality of different areas of said obstruction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
150 words
In a method of per forming laser surgery in a body lumen comprising the steps of inserting a catheter into said body lumen, said catheter having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, at least one fiber means in said catheter for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal to said distal end, positioning the distal end of said catheter adjacent an obstruction in said lumen and transmitting laser energy through said fiber means to impinge upon said obstruction, the improvement wherein said catheter has a plurality of said laser fiber means each with proximal and distal ends, said laser fiber means being arranged in a predetermined array about the longitudinal axis of the catheter, and including the step of optically scanning the proximal ends of said laser fiber means with laser energy to impinge said laser energy upon a plurality of different areas of said obstruction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
The improvement according to claim 12 wherein said laser energy is a non-continuous wave, pulsed laser beam having a predetermined pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse energy and duty cycle selected to operate substantially at the threshold of the thermal relaxation time of the illuminated volume of the obstruction whereby damage is effected to the obstruction with substantially no thermal necrosis of the surrounding tissue.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
The improvement according to claim 13, wherein said pulse duration is in the range from 5 to 200 milliseconds, said pulse repetition rate is in the range from about 1 to 50 pulses per second, said pulse energy is in the range from about 150 to 500 millijoules and said duty cycle is 50% or less.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
124 words
Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising: catheter means for insertion in a body lumen, said catheter means having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, a plurality of fiber means arranged about said axis for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end of said catheter to impinge upon an obstruction in said body lumen; laser means arranged adjacent the proximal end of said catheter means for generating a laser beam; means arranged between said laser means and said catheter means for directing said laser beam through preselected ones of said fiber means whereby said beam of laser energy is impinged upon different areas of said obstruction to effect damage to said obstruction.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
124 words
Apparatus for performing laser surgery in a body lumen comprising: catheter means for insertion in a body lumen, said catheter means having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, a plurality of fiber means arranged about said axis for transmitting a beam of laser energy from said proximal end to said distal end of said catheter to impinge upon an obstruction in said body lumen; laser means arranged adjacent the proximal end of said catheter means for generating a laser beam; means arranged between said laser means and said catheter means for directing said laser beam through preselected ones of said fiber means whereby said beam of laser energy is impinged upon different areas of said obstruction to effect damage to said obstruction.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said laser beam directing means comprises an optical scanning means for scanning said fiber means with said beam of laser energy.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the distal ends of some of said fiber means are converged radially inwardly at an angle toward said longitudinal axis.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 including an end plate disposed at the distal end of said catheter means for mounting the distal ends of said fiber means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the distal ends of some of said fiber means are diverged radially outwardly at an angle away from said longitudinal axis.
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