Patent ID: 6475210
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A vulnerable plaque treatment catheter arrangement for the analysis and treatment of the lipid pool of a vulnerable plaque in a coronary artery, comprising:a flexible, elongated, hollow sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, said sheath arranged for insertion into a coronary artery; an energy emitter and an energy receiver device arranged in an annular array in said distal end of said sheath, wherein said energy emitter comprises an annular array of emitting devices and said energy receiver comprises a separate annular array of receiving sensors longitudinally spaced apart in said sheath from said emitting devices wherein said sensors receive signals from oblique angles; an energy generator source and an energy control unit in communication with said device to provide a diagnosis and treatment to vulnerable plaque within a coronary artery.