Inside-the-body light delivery system using endovascular therapy-based light illumination technology.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices
• Photomedicine

Background:

• Light-based therapies offer potential for treating various diseases.
• Current limitations exist in delivering light deep within the body.
• An endovascular therapy-based light illumination technology (ET-BLIT) was developed to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an endovascular therapy-based light illumination technology (ET-BLIT).
• To enable deep light irradiation within the body for therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

• The ET-BLIT system utilizes a catheter designed as a guidewire and diffuser.
• A transparent section at the catheter's distal end accommodates a thermocouple.
• The optical light diffuser directs light laterally, with placement at the target lesion.

Main Results:

• ET-BLIT was successfully tested in an animal model.
• 690-nm near-infrared (NIR) light penetrated vessel walls to reach the liver and kidneys.
• No adverse effects such as temperature increase, vessel damage, or blood alterations were observed.

Conclusions:

• ET-BLIT demonstrates potential for clinical photomedicine.
• The system's endovascular approach allows whole-body access.
• ET-BLIT is a promising technology for research-phase light-based therapies.