An RF device for effective thermal treatment of atherosclerosis

There is a high rate of restenosis after current treatment of atherosclerosis, which is often associated to the damage of the vascular endothelial cell layer during therapeutic process. Lately, it was found that the plaque was related to the local proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) [1, 2]. An RF angioplasty balloon is designed to selectively treat the proliferated region while keeping the intima layer intact. Micro-electrodes are integrated onto the balloon surface, and cooling agent circulates inside to lower the temperature of the vascular endothelium. A controlled thin layer thermal treatment region has been achieved using this device through theoretical modeling and experimental validation. The penetration of RF energy heats up to ablate the plaque and also suppress the proliferation of VSMCs.