Detecting thermal discrepancies in vessel walls
View Patent ↗A system for detecting vulnerable arterial plaque formed on the vessel wall in vivo is disclosed. The system comprises a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, one or more thermal sensors at said distal end of said catheter, and a detector coupled to the proximal end of the catheter and in communication with one or more of the thermal sensors. The detector is capable of receiving thermal information from one or more thermal sensors and differentiating the different types of plaque based upon the thermal information received.
1. A system for differentiating different types of plaque in a vessel and thereby detecting vulnerable plaque in vivo, comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; one or more thermal sensors at said distal end of said catheter; and a detector coupled to said proximal end of said catheter and in communication with said one or more thermal sensors, said detector being configured for receiving thermal information from said one or more thermal sensors and differentiating the different types of plaque based upon the received thermal information, wherein said detector is capable of determining whether the plaque exhibits an elevated temperature of up to 5° C. above at least one adjacent vessel wall site.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said detector is capable of determining whether the plaque exhibits an elevated temperature of at least 1.5° C. above at least one adjacent vessel wall site.
3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an expandable member at the distal end of the catheter.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the expandable member comprises a balloon.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the thermal sensors comprise one or more optical fibers passing through the balloon.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the thermal sensors comprise one or more optical fibers capable of transmitting optical radiation indicative of temperature.
7. A system for differentiating different types of plaque in a vessel and thereby detecting vulnerable plaque in vivo, comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; one or more thermal sensors at said distal end of said catheter; and a detector coupled to said proximal end of said catheter and in communication with said one or more thermal sensors, said detector being configured for receiving thermal information from said one or more thermal sensors and differentiating the different types of plaque based upon the received thermal information, wherein said detector is capable of determining whether the plaque exhibits an elevated temperature of between 0.4 to 4° C. above at least one adjacent vessel wall site.
8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an expandable member at the distal end of the catheter.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the expandable member comprises a balloon.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the thermal sensors comprise one or more optical fibers passing though the balloon.
11. The system of claim 7 wherein the thermal sensors comprise one or more optical fibers capable of transmitting optical radiation indicative of temperature.
12. A system for differentiating different types of plaque in a vessel and thereby detecting vulnerable plaque in vivo, comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; one or more thermal sensors at said distal end of said catheter; and a detector coupled to said proximal end of said catheter and in communication with said one or more thermal sensors, said detector being configured for receiving thermal information from said one or more thermal sensors and differentiating the different types of plaque based upon the received thermal information, wherein said detector is capable of determining whether the plaque exhibits an elevated temperature of at least 0.1° C. above at least one adjacent vessel wall site.
13. The system of claim 12 further comprising an expandable member at the distal end of the catheter.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the expandable member comprises a balloon.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the thermal sensors comprise one or more optical fibers passing through the balloon.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein the thermal sensors comprise one or more optical fibers capable of transmitting optical radiation indicative of temperature.