IL312331A - Device and method for expanding a tubular anatomical structure - Google Patents

Claims (27)

1. A fused silica optical fiber for carrying UV laser light, wherein the optical fiber has a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured as an inverted cone capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam.

2. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the emitted conical beam of UV laser light impinges onto an inner wall of a tubular anatomical structure in a ring-shaped or annular configuration.

3. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the optical fiber comprises a tip coupled to the distal end of the optical fiber and in optical communication therewith, wherein the tip is configured as an inverted cone capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam.

4. The optical fiber of claim 3, wherein the tip coupled to the distal end of the optical fiber is diamond.

5. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is capable of emitting into water an annular beam at an emission angle β of about 14° up to 56° from a central longitudinal axis of the optical fiber.

6. A dilation system for dilating a tubular anatomical structure using UV laser light, said dilation system comprising an optical fiber and a UV laser light source, the optical fiber having a distal end which is conical in shape and capable of emitting the UV laser light as a conical beam.

7. The dilation system of claim 6, wherein the dilation system includes a balloon catheter.

8. The dilation system of claim 7 wherein the optical fiber is centered within the balloon catheter.

9. The dilation system of claim 6, wherein the optical fiber has a distal end configured as an inverted cone.

10. The dilation system of claim 6, wherein the optical fiber has a distal end configured as an external projecting cone, which is capable of emitting into water an annular beam at an emission angle β up to 71.5° from a central longitudinal axis of the optical fiber.

11. The dilation system of claim 6, wherein the optical fiber comprises a tip coupled to the optical fiber and in optical communication therewith, wherein the tip is configured as being conical in shape.

12. The dilation system of claim 6, wherein the dilation system includes a thrombectomy device.

13. A dilation system for use in a method for dilating a tubular anatomical structure in a body of a patient, said method comprising: - providing said dilation system comprising a catheter housing, an optical fiber for carrying UV laser light from a UV laser light source, wherein the optical fiber has a distal end having a conical configuration; - emitting from the distal end of the optical fiber, UV laser light energy as an annular beam onto smooth muscle cells of an inner wall of the tubular anatomical structure to stimulate production and release of nitric oxide (NO·) from stores of nitrites (NO2-) in the smooth muscle cells, whereby the nitric oxide causes relaxation of the smooth muscle and dilation of the tubular anatomical structure.

14. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the anatomical structure in a body of a patient is selected from an anatomical canal, an anatomical tube or tubule, a blood vessel, a bronchiole, a ureter, and a vas.

15. The dilation system for use for dilating a tubular anatomical structure in a body of a patient of claim 13, wherein the method is applied in an endovascular thrombectomy procedure employing a thrombectomy device wherein the method further comprises the steps of: positioning the UV optical fiber within about 1-10 vessel diameters of a clot within an artery and centered within the diameter of the artery; emitting a burst of UV light energy as a laser beam onto smooth muscle cells on an inner wall of the artery to stimulate production of NO· from stores of nitrites (NO2-) in the smooth muscle cells, whereby dilation of the artery results; and removing the clot.

16. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the optical fiber is centered using a balloon catheter.

17. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the balloon catheter is transparent to UV light.

18. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the UV light is directed onto the arterial wall within about 1 and about 4 vessel diameters from the clot.

19. The met dilation system for use hod of claim 13, wherein the UV light is pulsed at high frequency of 5-25 kHz with greater than 50 nanosecond pulse width, or as a quasi-continuous 100 MHz beam with about 10 picosecond pulse widths, or as a continuous square wave for at least 2 seconds and up to 10 seconds.

20. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the UV light is emitted at a wavelength of about 180-400 nm.

21. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the UV light is emitted at a wavelength of about 300-400 nm.

22. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the UV light is emitted using a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser which emits light at 355 nm.

23. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the incident intensity of the UV light is between about 3 and about 20 watts per square centimeter.

24. The dilation system for use of claim 15, wherein the thrombectomy device is an aspiration catheter.

25. The dilation system for use of claim 15, wherein the thrombectomy device is a stentriever.

26. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the conical tip is configured as an inverted cone.

27. The dilation system for use of claim 13, wherein the conical tip is configured as an everted or external projecting cone.