Temperature measuring balloon

Claim 2

A balloon catheter comprising: a catheter, the catheter having a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a balloon mounted thereto; the balloon at least partially constructed from at least one temperature responsive material which exhibits a predetermined detectable change when the material is in contact with an object having a predetermined temperature, the balloon having an inside and outside; at least one lumen extending from the inside of the balloon through the catheter shaft to a proximal end of the catheter shaft, the inside of the balloon in fluid communication with the at least one lumen; a light source, the light source constructed and arranged to transmit to the inside of the balloon at least one predetermined wavelength of light, the at least one predetermined wavelength of light being reflected by the at least one temperature responsive material; and a detector, the detector constructed and arranged to detect a predetermined reflected light of the at least one predetermined wavelength of light and produce a detector signal.

Claim 3

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the light source is positioned in the inside of the balloon.

Claim 4

The balloon catheter of claim 2 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode (LED).

Claim 5

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the detector is positioned in the inside of the balloon.

Claim 6

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises at least one optical fiber, the at least one optical fiber further positioned within the at least one lumen and extending from the inside of the balloon to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, the optical fiber constructed and arranged to transmit the at least one predetermined wavelength of light from the proximal end of the catheter shaft to the inside of the balloon.

Claim 7

The balloon catheter of claim 1 further comprising a light directing device, the light directing device constructed and arranged to direct the at least one predetermined wavelength of light onto the at least one temperature responsive material in the inside of the balloon.

Claim 8

The balloon catheter of claim 6 wherein the light directing device is positioned within the inside of the balloon.

Claim 9

The balloon catheter of claim 7 wherein the light directing device is constructed and arranged to move along a longitudinal axis of the inside of the balloon.

Claim 10

The balloon catheter of claim 8 wherein the light directing device being further constructed and arranged to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the inside of the balloon.

Claim 11

The balloon catheter of claim 9 wherein the light directing device comprising a reflector, the reflector being positioned relative to the light source so as to direct the at least on predetermined wavelength of light to a predetermined location on the inside of the balloon.

Claim 12

The balloon catheter of claim 6 further comprising a filter, the filter constructed and arranged to filter at least a portion of the at least one predetermined wavelength of light reflected from the at least one temperature responsive material, and transmit the at least one predetermined color of light to the detector.

Claim 13

The balloon catheter of claim 11 wherein the filter is positioned outside of the balloon.

Claim 14

The balloon catheter of claim 11 wherein the filter is positioned in the inside of the balloon.

Claim 15

The balloon catheter of claim 13 wherein the filter is further positioned adjacent to the light directing device, the light directing device further constructed and arranged to transmit the least a portion of the at least one predetermined wavelength of light reflected from the at least one temperature responsive material to the filter.

Claim 16

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the at least one temperature responsive material is a chromatically responsive cholesteric liquid crystal.

Claim 17

The balloon catheter of claim 15 wherein the inside of the balloon is transparent to the at least one predetermined wavelength of light, the chromatically responsive cholesteric liquid crystal being positioned between the inside and the outside of the balloon.

Claim 18

The balloon catheter of claim 15 wherein the chromatically responsive cholesteric liquid crystal is a coating on the inside of the balloon.

Claim 19

The balloon catheter of claim 15 wherein the chromatically responsive cholesteric liquid crystal is selected from the group consisting of: cholesteryl halides; mixed esters of cholesterol and inorganic acids; cholesteryl esters of saturated and unsaturated, substituted and unsubstituted organic acids; cholesteryl ethers and any combinations thereof.

Claim 20

The balloon catheter of claim 18 wherein the chromatically responsive cholesteric liquid crystal material is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of: cholesteryl chloride; combinations of cholesteryl bromide and cholesteryl iodide; cholesteryl nitrate; cholesteryl nonanoate; cholesteryl crotonate; cholesteryl chloroformate; cholesteryl chlorodecanoate; cholesteryl chloroeicosanoate; cholesteryl butyrate; cholesteryl caprate; cholesteryl oleate; cholesteryl linolate; cholesteryl linolenate; cholesteryl laurate; cholesteryl erucate; cholesteryl myristate; cholesteryl clupanodonate; oleyl cholesteryl carbonate; cholesteryl heptyl carbamate, decyl cholesteryl carbonate; cholesteryl p-chlorobenzoate; cholesteryl cinnamate; cholesteryl ethers; cholesteryl decyl ether; cholesteryl lauryl ether; cholesteryl oleyl ether; and any combinations thereof.

Claim 21

The balloon catheter of claim 6 further comprising at least one lens, the at least one lens positioned in the inside of the balloon, the at least one lens constructed and arranged to collimate the at least one predetermined wavelength of light prior to the light being directed to the at least a portion of the at least one temperature responsive material.

Claim 22

The balloon catheter of claim 11 wherein the at least a portion of the at least one temperature responsive material exhibits the predetermined material color, the predetermined material color of the at least one temperature responsive material reflecting the light of the predetermined wavelength, the light of the predetermined wavelength being transmitted by the filter.

Claim 23

The balloon catheter of claim 21 wherein the predetermined material color corresponds to the predetermined temperature.

Claim 24

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the detector signal is an optically detectable signal.

Claim 25

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the detector signal is an electrical signal.

Claim 26

The balloon catheter of claim 1 wherein the detector signal is an infrared signal.

Claim 27

The balloon catheter of claim 5 wherein the at least one optical fiber is constructed and arranged to transmit the detector signal from the detector to the proximal end of the catheter shaft.

Claim 28

A balloon catheter comprising: a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a predetermined length; a balloon, the balloon mounted to a portion of the distal end of the catheter shaft, the balloon having an uninflated state and being expandable to an inflated state, the balloon further having an inside and an outside, the balloon being made at least partially of at least one temperature responsive material, the at least one temperature responsive material constructed and arranged to exhibit at least one predetermined color when the material is in contact with an object having at least one predetermined temperature; at least one lumen, the at least one lumen being defined by the catheter shaft and extending from the inside of the balloon to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, the first lumen being in fluid communication with the inside of the balloon; at least one optical fiber, the at least one optical fiber extending from the proximal end of the catheter shaft to the inside of the balloon, the at least one optical fiber having a first end positioned at the proximal end of the catheter shaft and a second end positioned in the inside of the balloon; a light source the light source constructed and arranged to transmit light; a light director, the light director constructed and arranged to direct the light received from the light source transmitted from the proximal light source through the at least one optical fiber onto a portion of the at least one temperature responsive material of the balloon; and a light detector, the light detector constructed and arranged to detect at least one predetermined color of light and thereupon transmit a detector signal.

Claim 29

A balloon catheter comprising: a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a predetermined length; a balloon, the balloon mounted to a portion of the distal end of the catheter shaft, the balloon having an uninflated state and being expandable to an inflated state, the balloon further having an inside and an outside, the balloon being made at least partially of at least one temperature responsive material, the at least one temperature responsive material constructed and arranged to exhibit at least one predetermined color when the material is in contact with an object having at least one predetermined temperature; at least one lumen, the at least one lumen being defined by the catheter shaft and extending from the inside of the balloon to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, the first lumen being in fluid communication with the inside of the balloon; at least one optical fiber, the at least one optical fiber extending from the proximal end of the catheter shaft to the inside of the balloon, the at least one optical fiber having a first end positioned at the proximal end of the catheter shaft and a second end positioned in the inside of the balloon; a light source the light source constructed and arranged to transmit light; a light director, the light director constructed and arranged to direct the light received from the light source transmitted from the proximal light source through the at least one optical fiber onto a portion of the at least one temperature responsive material of the balloon; and a light detector, the light detector constructed and arranged to detect at least one predetermined color of light and thereupon transmit a detector signal.

Claim 30

The balloon catheter of claim 27 wherein the light director comprises a reflector, the reflector having at least one reflecting surface, the reflector constructed and arranged to reflect at least a portion of the light transmitted by the light source onto at least a portion of the at least one temperature responsive material, the at least a portion of the light characterized as directed light.

Claim 31

The balloon catheter of claim 28 further comprising a filter, the at least a portion of the at least one temperature responsive material further constructed and arranged to reflect at least a portion of the directed light onto the filter, the at least a portion of the directed light comprising the reflected light, the filter constructed and arranged to filter at least a portion of the reflected light and transmit the at least one predetermined color of light to the detector.

Claim 32

The balloon catheter of claim 29 wherein the filter is positioned below the at least one reflective surface of the reflector.

Claim 33

The balloon catheter of claim 30 wherein the reflector surface is constructed and arranged to permit passage of the at least a portion of the reflected light therethrough.

Claim 34

A method of detecting a lesion in a body lumen comprising the steps of: inserting the balloon catheter of claim 11 into a body lumen; advancing the distal end of the catheter shaft to a portion of the body lumen; expanding the balloon so that the balloon contacts the portion of the body lumen; emitting a light from the light source; directing the light onto the at least a portion of at least one temperature responsive material; reflecting the light from the at least a portion of at least one temperature responsive material to a filter; filtering the light received by the filter to at least one predetermined color of light, the at least one predetermined color of light corresponding to at least one predetermined temperature of the at least a portion of at least one temperature responsive material; and detecting the at least one predetermined color of light with the detector.

Claim 35

The method of claim 32 wherein a vulnerable plaque lesion is indicated by the at least a portion of at least one temperature responsive material exhibiting the predetermined material color.

Claim 36

The method of claim 33 further including the step of mapping the vulnerable plaque lesion by observing the predetermined material color.

Claim 37

The method of claim 34 further including the step of classifying a lesion based on the