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Extraluminal laser angioplasty (ELAN): a new method for treating atherosclerotic vessels

G. Fabian Will*, Ajoy Singh, Wolfgang Ertmer, Herbert Welling, Holger Lubatschowski

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingConference contributionResearchpeer review

Abstract

ELAN is a new method for treating atherosclerotic vessels. Its purpose is to restore wall flexibility by removing arterial wall tissue from the outer arterial layer. This leads to expansion of the narrowed vessel resulting in increased blood flow. We generated cuts in dissected arteries of sheep and pigs by photo-ablation with an ArF-Excimer Laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm. During the cutting process the vessel diameter was monitored by measuring the running time of the laser induced pressure transients with a pressure transducer lying under the artery. A nearly linear increase of the diameter dependent on the residual wall thickness was found with a maximum increase of vessel diameter about 10 %. We also observed that the arterial wall maintains stable to very small residual wall thicknesses i.e. deep cutting. To support the experiments and to test different geometries of tissue removal we performed FEM-Analysis. We simulated vessel deformation and the total strain depending on the depth, width and number of cuts in the outer arterial wall. We also found a significant increase of the "lumen" in a model with atherosclerotic shape obtained from a histological section.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLasers in Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems XIII
PublisherSPIE
Pages477-487
Number of pages11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Sept 2003
EventBiomedical Optics - San Jose, CA, United States
Duration: 25 Jan 200331 Jan 2003

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume4949
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Conference

ConferenceBiomedical Optics
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Jose, CA
Period25 Jan 200331 Jan 2003

Keywords

  • Atherosclerosis
  • ELAN
  • Excimer laser
  • FEM

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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