CO Laser Angioplasty(VI)-- In Vivo Contact CO Laser Angioplasty Under Visualization by Thin Angioscope (II)

Abstract

The animal experiments which used CO laser under intra-vascular visualization by a thin angioscope in viva is described. We developed a 6F laser angioscope catheter which had a tip steering capability by the combination of one-directional bending and rotation. We also developed a thin fiber cable which was covered by thin SUS tube with a round shaped ZnSe contact tip. These catheter and cable made it possible to get a fine contact of the tip. The condition of the contact to lesion was easily checked out by angioscopic observation of scattering materials which were generated by CO laser contact irradiation.