KATHETER FUER DIE PERKUTANE GEFAESS- UND ORGANCHIRURGIE MITTELS ENERGIESTRAHLUNG

摘要

A cardiac catheter useful for performing percutaneous valvotomy using a laser beam contains a positioning mechanism with at least one pair of wires disposed essentially in the longitudinal direction of the catheter. In the region of the distal end of the catheter, the wires (2, 3) can be resiliently flexed from a basic position in which they adhere closely to the surface of the catheter to form two intersecting, axially offset, convex wire arcs projecting radially above the surface of the catheter. In the region of intersection, the wire arcs form an indent (25) for positive anchorage on the heart valve. A fibre optic for transmission of the laser beam is connected to at least one of the wires (2, 3). The catheter can therefore be positioned in a beating heart without interrupting the blood flow in such a way that the laser beam is accurately focused on to the site of action on the heart valve.