Systems and Methods Which Remove Material From Blood Vessel Walls

摘要

Systems and methods for removing plaque from blood vessels by applying constant or time varying magnetic or electrical fields. In one embodiment a system includes winding configurations positioned about a central axis along which a body region may be placed. Each winding configuration generates a magnetic field in a direction which passes through the body region. A first winding configuration generates a first magnetic field component perpendicular to a second magnetic field component generated by a second winding configuration. In a related method for removing a deposit of plaque from a position along a wall of a blood vessel a magnetic field is applied which has a net direction predominantly orthogonal to the direction of the flow of blood through the vessel.