Optical device for intravascular low-power laser illumination

The treatment method presented in this paper is an adjunct to coronary angioplasty. It consists in irradiating a previously dilated artery with laser light which stimulates endothelium proliferation and reduces local inflammation. The influence of 808 nm laser light on the endothelium was studied in vitro. Because of the location of atherosclerotic plaques, illumination of the endothelium poses a problem. To overcome it, we have designed and built a laser set-up for homogeneous intravascular illumination in vivo.