The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 20, 1993
Filed:
Nov. 06, 1991
Gerhard Muller, Berlin, DE;
Hasan Kar, Berlin, DE;
Klaus Dorschel, Berlin, DE;
Karl-Heinz Schonborn, Mainz, DE;
Schott Glaswerke, Mainz, DE;
Abstract
A catheter for vascular surgery includes a circular array of optical fibers therein disposed at the distal end of the catheter with each lightguide being separated by an elastically deformable member with compartments therein for receiving pressurized fluid. Upon pressurizing the compartments the diameter of the catheter expands. The optical fibers are bunched at the end of the catheter proximate the source of laser light where shutters are positioned for selecting only those lightguides at the distal end which are needed to remove blockages. By pressurizing selected elastically expandable members, groups of optical fibers can be isolated from the rest of the optical fibers and deflected toward the wall of the vessel in which the catheter is being used.