Patent · US Expired

Catheter system for vessel recanalization in the human body

US5203779A · kind A · utility

77Cited by

7References

7Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Schott Glaswerke · DE

Inventors

Gerhard Muller · Grafing, DE
Hasan Kar · Berlin, DE
Klaus Dorschel · Berlin, DE
Karl-Heinz Schonborn · Mainz, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Nov 6, 1991
Grant date	Apr 20, 1993
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Nov 6, 2011

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG02B6/403
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A catheter for vascular surgery includes a circular array of optical fibers therein disposed at the distal end of the catheter with each lightguide being separated by an elastically deformable member with compartments therein for receiving pressurized fluid. Upon pressurizing the compartments the diameter of the catheter expands. The optical fibers are bunched at the end of the catheter proximate the source of laser light where shutters are positioned for selecting only those lightguides at the distal end which are needed to remove blockages. By pressurizing selected elastically expandable members, groups of optical fibers can be isolated from the rest of the optical fibers and deflected toward the wall of the vessel in which the catheter is being used.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.