Patent ID: 6428531
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method of opening to the flow of blood a human blood vessel that is at least partially blocked by an occlusion, comprising:providing optical fibers, each of the optical fibers having a core diameter of less than or equal to 200 microns and having an optical fiber end; positioning within the vessel an array of the optical fiber ends; and directing a sequence of one or more pulses of radiation out of one or more of the optical fiber ends and subsequently directing a sequence of pulses of radiation out of one or more of the other of the optical fiber ends, the pulses individually having a duration of less than or equal to 100 nanoseconds and containing sufficient energy to generate at least one shock wave and at least one bubble in a volume immediately adjacent the optical fiber ends which together cause a portion of the occlusion to be disrupted.