Claims
- 1. A method of detecting vulnerable plaque in a vessel of a body, comprising:
stopping a heart within the body from beating; preparing a substantially bloodless field in a portion of the vessel while the heart is stopped; inspecting the vessel for vulnerable plaque in the substantially bloodless field in the portion of the vessel, wherein the inspection for vulnerable plaque is performed using an OCT imaging system, while the heart remains stopped.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing a substantially bloodless field comprises removing blood from the vessel.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein removing blood from the blood vessel comprises a using a saline flush.
- 4. The method of claim 2 wherein removing blood from the blood vessel comprises occluding the vessel upstream from the bloodless field.
- 5. The method of claim 4 further comprising using a saline flush after occluding the vessel upstream from the bloodless field, and prior to inspecting the vessel for vulnerable plaque.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein stopping a heart within the body from beating comprises a method selected from the group consisting of: vagus nerve stimulation, carotid sinus nerve stimulation, and stimulation of a fat pad.
- 7 The method of claim 1 wherein stopping a heart within the body from beating comprises administering a drug selected from the group consisting of: a beta-blocker, a cholinergic agent, a cholinesterase inhibitor, a calcium channel blocker, a sodium channel blocker, a potassium channel agent, adenosine, an adenosine receptor agonist, an adenosine deaminase inhibitor, dipyridamole, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, digoxin, digitalis, lignocaine, a bradykinin agent, a serotoninergic agonist, an antiarrythmic agent, a cardiac glycoside, a local anesthetic, atropine, a calcium solution, an agent that promotes heart rate, an agent that promotes heart contractions, dopamine,
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the OCT imaging system comprises a catheter delivery system.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the OCT imaging system comprises a pericardial system.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein stopping the heart from beating occurs during the course of a medical procedure.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the heart is stopped during a medical procedure chosen from the group consisting of cardiac bypass surgery, cardiac valve surgery, a fluoroscopic procedure, a cardiac procedure not involving a coronary bypass and not involving cardiac valve surgery, a vascular procedure, a neurosurgical procedure, an electrophysiology procedure, an ablation procedure, an endovascular procedure, a pulmonary procedure, an aneurysm repair, an imaging procedure, a CAT scan procedure, a MRI procedure, a genetic therapy, a cellular therapy, a cancer therapy, a radiation therapy, a transplantation procedure, a coronary angioplasty procedure, a stent delivery procedure, an atherectomy procedure, a procedure that requires precise control of cardiac motion, a procedure that requires precise control of bleeding, a port-access procedure, an endoscopic procedure, a sternotomy procedure, a thoracotomy procedure, a robotic procedure, and cardiac surgery requiring that the heart be still.
- 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising starting a heart beat after inspecting the vessel for vulnerable plaque.
- 13. A method of detecting vulnerable plaque in a vessel of a body, comprising:
stopping a heart within the body from beating; positioning a catheter in the vessel, the catheter comprising an occluding balloon, a saline solution delivery system, and an OCT imaging system; preparing a substantially bloodless field in a portion of the vessel while the heart is stopped by first inflating the occluding balloon upstream from the bloodless field and then flushing the bloodless field with the saline solution; and inspecting the vessel for vulnerable plaque in the substantially bloodless field in the portion of the vessel, wherein the inspection for vulnerable plaque is performed using an OCT imaging system, while the heart remains stopped.
- 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising starting the heart after inspecting the vessel for vulnerable plaque.
- 15. The method of claim 13 wherein stopping the heart from beating occurs during the course of a medical procedure.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the medical procedure is chosen from the group consisting of cardiac bypass surgery, cardiac valve surgery, a fluoroscopic procedure, a cardiac procedure not involving a coronary bypass and not involving cardiac valve surgery, a vascular procedure, a neurosurgical procedure, an electrophysiology procedure, an ablation procedure, an endovascular procedure, a pulmonary procedure, an aneurysm repair, an imaging procedure, a CAT scan procedure, a MRI procedure, a genetic therapy, a cellular therapy, a cancer therapy, a radiation therapy, a transplantation procedure, a coronary angioplasty procedure, a stent delivery procedure, an atherectomy procedure, a procedure that requires precise control of cardiac motion, a procedure that requires precise control of bleeding, a port-access procedure, an endoscopic procedure, a sternotomy procedure, a thoracotomy procedure, a robotic procedure, and cardiac surgery requiring that the heart be still.
- 17. The method of claim 13 wherein stopping a heart within the body from beating comprises a method selected from the group consisting of: vagus nerve stimulation, carotid sinus nerve stimulation, and stimulation of a fat pad.
- 18. The method of claim 13 wherein stopping a heart within the body from beating comprises administering a drug selected from the group consisting of: a beta-blocker, a cholinergic agent, a cholinesterase inhibitor, a calcium channel blocker, a sodium channel blocker, a potassium channel agent, adenosine, an adenosine receptor agonist, an adenosine deaminase inhibitor, dipyridamole, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, digoxin, digitalis, lignocaine, a bradykinin agent, a serotoninergic agonist, an antiarrythmic agent, a cardiac glycoside, a local anesthetic, atropine, a calcium solution, an agent that promotes heart rate, an agent that promotes heart contractions, dopamine, a catecholamine, an inotrope glucagon, a hormone, forskolin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, thyroid hormone, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, prostacyclin, prostaglandin and a methylxanthine.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/477,982 filed Jun. 12, 2003.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60477982 |
Jun 2003 |
US |