Abstract

Laser angioplasty, in which laser beams are introduced into vessels through fiber-optic catheters, represents an exciting new method for restoring the patency of totally and partially occluded vessels. The effectiveness of the technique is dependent on the optical and thermal properties of the occluding plaque deposit and its normal tissue substrate. While the exact mechanism of tissue disruption leading to ablation of the plaque is as yet unclear, measurements of tissue temperature distribution during laser irradiation yield clues to the dominant physical processes.

© 1986 Optical Society of America