CATHETER FOR LASER TREATMENT OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE AND OTHER TISSUE ABNORMALITIES

摘要

A medical catheter (10) for treating atherosclerotic plaque and other abnormalities includes optical fibers (30) for applying laser energy (100) to the plaque and an ultrasonic transducer system (32, 34) for sensing the location and configuration of the plaque. The optical fibers (30) and electrical wiring for the transducers (32, 34) extend through a probe (28) which is rotatable inside of the catheter tube (12) to provide universal directional control of the fibers (30) and transducers (32, 34). A reflective system includes a curved reflector (38) in the probe (28) which can be axially adjusted to vary the direction of the ultrasonic signals. Alternative forms of the invention include different reflector schemes, an angled ultrasonic transducer (110) having a conical signal output that varies with frequency, and various different systems for rotating the transducers and fibers.