Laser heated intravascular cautery cap assembly

Abstract

An improved laser heated intravascular cautery cap construction includes a generally cylindrical outersidewall, and a tappered, annular, distal end wall joining the two sidewalls and defining a closed annular space therebetween. A bore extending axially through the inner sidewall is dimentioned to receive in freely sliding fashion an arterial guidewire or other device such as a doppler flow sensor or an optical bundle for viewing. A unitary or multi-segment annular target element is received within the distal portion of the annular space, and is secured to the outer sidewall adjacent to the end wall with a gap defined between the target element and the inner sidewall. A plurality of holes extend through a connector member parallel to the axis of the sidewalls, each hole receiving therethrough one of a plurality of optical fibers extending through the arterial catheter to a laser light source. Each fiber is aimed at one segment or portion of the target element, so that the fibers may be illuminated selectively to heat the respective portion or segment and the adjacent outer sidewall and distal end wall portions. The air gap defined between the target disc segments and the inner sidewall prevents conduction to the inner sidewall. In a further embodiment, the inner sidewall is lined with a sleeve to further limit heating of the arterial guidewire extending therethrough.