Patent ID: 6246901
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: A61B,B82Y,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A medical system for determining the location of the central lumen within a diseased arterial blood vessel during coronary artery reflow procedures, comprising:(a) a contrast solution of indocyanine green for providing a source of contrast between coronary blood in said vessel lumen and other tissues, said agent injected distal to an obstruction so as to have achieved distribution and localization within the coronary vessels;(b) a monochromatic light source for illuminating a portion of said subject with illuminating radiation;(c) a light collector for collecting a portion of said illuminating radiation, said collected portion having passed through an opaque region of the body of the subject potentially containing said contrast agent, and for providing a contrast influenced and fluorescent detected signal in response to said collected portion;(d) an intravascular catheter for use within said subject during said intravascular procedure, said medical catheter coupled to said light emitter, said light collector, or both; and,(e) means for determining the location of said vessel lumen, said determination based upon said detected signal, and for generating an output signal related to the accuracy of placement of the tip of said catheter with respect to said vessel lumen in response to said determination.