Catherization system and method

Abstract

An artery blockage removal system including a hollow plastic tube with IR optical fibers extending longitudinally between its inner and outer walls, the end of the tube having a metal clad tip ring preferably of gold abutting against the end of the IR optical fibers, and the outer surface of the hollow plastic tube having curved arterial guards molded into its outer circumference to hold the inner walls of the artery away from the hollow plastic tube and metal clad tip ring to avoid physical and thermal damage to the inner artery walls, whereby arterial blockage is removed through application of the metal clad tip ring heated by the IR optical fibers and a vacuum applied through the center of the hollow tubing.

1 . An arterial catherization system for removing arterial blockage from an artery, which comprises: 
 a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal passageway and at least one port;    an annular tip axially aligned and abutting said cylindrical tube to effect a thermal cutting of said arterial blockage and to provide an entry into said longitudinal passageway for removing arterial debris; and    plural optical fibers pneumatically sealed within and extending along a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical tube, and abutting said annular tip to accommodate a heating of said annular tip to a thermal cutting temperature.    
   
   
       2 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 1 , wherein removal of said arterial debris occurs through a vacuum in said longitudinal passageway.  
   
   
       3 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 1 , further including arterial guards formed into and extending from an outer surface of said cylindrical tube to separate inner walls of said artery from said annular tip and outer walls of said cylindrical tube, thus avoiding physical and thermal damage to said artery and providing blood pathways around said arterial catherization system to downstream body tissue.  
   
   
       4 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 1 , wherein said plural optical fibers are IR optical fibers.  
   
   
       5 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 1 , wherein said annular tip is longitudinally separated from said cylindrical tube to provide alternative pathways for blood to enter said longitudinal passageway.  
   
   
       6 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 1 , wherein said annular tip has a first circumference adjacent said cylindrical tube which is smaller than a second circumference of said annular tip which is further most from said cylindrical tube.  
   
   
       7 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 6 , wherein said first circumference remains constant along said longitudinal axis a first distance and thereafter progressively increases to said second circumference, thereby providing an extended cutting surface to avoid clogging by said arterial debris.  
   
   
       17 . A catherization method for removing blockage from an artery without damaging interior artery walls, which comprises the following steps: 
 inserting dye into said artery to pinpoint position of said blockage through X-Ray exposure;    inserting a guidewire into said artery to extend through said blockage;    advancing a catherization system having a central passageway and a thermal cutting tip along said guidewire to abut said blockage;    thermally cutting through said blockage by irradiating said cutting tip without damaging arterial walls; and    removing arterial debris resulting from the above step of thermally cutting by creating a vacuum in said central passageway to avoid downstream damage caused by said arterial debris being carried into a body blood stream.    
   
   
       18 . The catherization method of  claim 17  above, wherein said dye is an X-Ray contrast dye.  
   
   
       19 . The catherization method of  claim 17  above, wherein the step of thermally cutting is accomplished by an IR laser irradiating through IR optical fibers to heat said cutting tip.  
   
   
       20 . The catherization method of  claim 17  above, wherein physical and thermal damage to said arterial walls is prevented by molding plural arterial guards into an outer surface of said catherization system.  
   
   
       21 . A catherization system for removing arterial blockage from an artery, which comprises: 
 thermal means for removing said arterial blockage from inner walls of said artery;    cylindrical tube means for carrying said thermal means to said arterial blockage in said artery, and for applying a vacuum to evacuate arterial debris created by said thermal means; and    IR optical fiber means pneumatically sealed within said cylindrical tube means and abutting said thermal means for applying IR radiation to heat said thermal means to a desired cutting temperature.    
   
   
       22 . An arterial catherization system for removing arterial blockage from an artery, which comprises: 
 a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal passageway and at least one port;    an annular tip axially aligned and abutting the cylindrical tube to effect a thermal cutting of the arterial blockage and to provide an entry into the longitudinal passageway for removing arterial debris; and    plural optical fibers pneumatically sealed within and extending along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical tube, and abutting the annular tip to accommodate a heating of the annular tip to a thermal cutting temperature,    where the system is designed to support a first blood flow to downstream body tissue around an outer surface of the cylindrical tube and to support a second blood flow through an interior of the cylindrical tube and where the first blood flow is opposite in direction to the second blood flow.    
   
   
       23 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 22 , wherein removal of the arterial debris occurs through a vacuum in the longitudinal passageway designed to support the second blood flow.  
   
   
       24 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 arterial guards formed into and extending from the outer surface of the cylindrical tube to separate inner walls of the artery from the annular tip and outer walls of the cylindircal tube designed to separae the inner walls of the artery from thermal damage from the annular tip and the outer surface of the cylindrical tube.    
   
   
       25 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 22 , wherein the plural optical fibers are IR optical fibers.  
   
   
       26 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 22 , wherein the annular tip is longitudinally separated from the cylindrical tube to provide alternative pathways for blood to enter the longitudinal passageway.  
   
   
       27 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 22 , wherein the annular tip has a first circumference adjacent the cylindrical tube which is smaller than a second circumference of the annular tip which is further most from the cylindircal tube.  
   
   
       28 . The arterial catherization system of  claim 27 , wherein the first circumference remains constant along the longitudinal axis a first distance and thereafer progressively increases to the second circumference, thereby providing an extended cutting surface to avoid clogging by the arterial debris.  
   
   
       29 . A catherization method for removing blockage from an artery without damaging interior artery walls, which comprises the following steps: 
 inserting dye into the artery to pinpoint position to the blockage through X-Ray exposure;    inserting a guidewire into the artery to extend through the blockage;    advancing a catherization system having a central passageway and a thermal cutting tip along the guidewire to abut the blockage, where the system is designed to support a first blood flow to downstream body tissue around an outer surface of the cylindrical tube and to support a second blood flow through an interior of the cylindrical tube and where the first blood flow is opposite in direction to the second blood flow;    thermally cutting through the blockage by irradiating the cutting tip without damaging arterial walls; and    removing arterial debris resulting from the above step of thermally cutting by creating a vacuum in the central passageway to avoid downstream damage caused by the arterial debris being carried into a body blood stream and the support the second blood flow.    
   
   
       30 . The catherization method of  claim 29 , wherein the dye is an X-Ray contrast dye.  
   
   
       31 . The catherization method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of thermally cutting comprises irradiating the cutting tip with radiation an IR laser through the IR optical fibers, which resulting in heating of the cutting tip.  
   
   
       32 . The catherization method of  claim 29 , wherein physical and thermal damage to the arterial walls is prevented by molding plural arterial guards into an outer surface of the catherization system.  
   
   
       33 . A catherization system for removing arterial blockage from an artery, which comprises: 
 thermal means for removing the arterial blockage from inner walls of the artery;    cylindsrical tube means for carrying the thermal means to the arterial blockage in the artery, and for applying a vacuum to evacuate arterial debris created by the thermal means, where the cylindrical means supports a blood flow to downstream body tissue around an outer surface of the cylindrical tube; and    IR optical fiber means pneumatically sealed within the cylindrical tube means and abutting the thermal means for applying IR radiation to heat the thermal means to a desired cutting temperature.