Optimally spaced fiber catheter for excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA)

Current multiple-optical-fiber catheters for excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) emit pulsed light at 308nm from a xenon chloride (XeCl) excimer laser to remove plaque in occluded arteries. Because the fiber ends, arranged in a closest-packed array, do not cover the entire surface of the catheter tip, these devices ablate holes typically holes typically 75-80% of the catheter tip diameter. To increase the ablation effectiveness, an optimally spaced fiber catheter has been designed in which the fiber-to-fiber spacing is increased precisely enough so as to cover the entire catheter tip area with fibers. In vitro and in vivo testing compared the optimally spaced catheter to catheter models currently in clinical use. Although device handling characteristics were found to be identical, the optimally spaced devices removed a significantly greater amount of tissue. This may offer a technical advantage in a clinical setting.