Patent ID: 6984229

Claim:
An improved angioplasty catheter system, which reduces occurrence of restenosis, and reduces the number of operational steps in a treatment, wherein said system comprises: a balloon catheter having a balloon at a distal end of said catheter, said catheter having a wall at a distal end being transparent to homogeneous radiation; a guidewire surrounded by said catheter's body/wall; means for providing said homogeneous radiation to a treatment site after or during dilation of an occluded section; means for scattering said radiation outward from optical fibers at said distal end of said catheter; wherein said radiation activates a previously introduced photodynamic therapy composition present at said treatment site; and wherein said means for providing radiation is integrated into said angioplasty catheter system as part of said catheter's wall and is employed without removal of said guidewire used to place said catheter at said treatment site, wherein said catheter's wall has channels in which are optical fibers, wherein said optical fibers within said channels are means for providing said homogeneous radiation; wherein at least one of said channels also function to inflate said balloon of said angioplasty catheter system.