"Optimally spaced" excimer laser coronary catheters: performance analysis

Excimer laser angioplasty is a percutaneous treatment modality for management of selected patients with severe obstructive coronary artery disease. This technology entails application of multifiber catheters that vaporize intra-arterial plaque and thrombus with the 308-nm wavelength light. A coronary laser catheter ("OS") with increased space between its optic fibers (90 microns) at the tip was recently developed. The previous design used a closely packed fiber bundle ("CP") with a smaller space between the fibers (77 microns). We sought to determine the ablation characteristics of the new, OS design.

Experiments testing the new catheter and comparing it to the existing catheter included: (1) measurement of the laser output beam sizes and divergences; (2) evaluation of particulate matter generation during ablation of atherosclerotic tissue; (3) measurement of ablation hole sizes and tissue penetration rates; (4) histopathologic examination of laser-induced in vivo vessel wall injury.

The new OS catheters produce a wider beam with higher divergence than the traditional CP catheters (6.7 degrees vs. 4.7 degrees, respectively). Testing two different levels of energy revealed the generation of a reduced number of particulate matter and shallower penetration depth with the OS catheter compared with traditional CP catheters. The OS catheters created a larger diameter of ablated hole than the CP catheters (for 2.0-mm catheters: 2.7 mm2 vs. 1.5 mm2, respectively, p = 0.01). Lasing with the OS catheters with slow advancement rates (0.2-0.5 mm/sec) resulted in creation of significantly larger-diameter holes than those produced at higher speeds (1-3 mm/sec). The in vivo vessel wall injury scores were similar among the two types of catheters tested.

A new design of spaced optical fibers for coronary laser catheters provides increased tissue ablation in comparison to the traditional closely packed fibers catheter. Slow advancement rates during lasing with the new OS catheter are crucial for achievement of adequate plaque debulking.