Ablation Fiber Optic Probe for Surgical Maze Procedure

描述（由申请人提供）： 心房颤动（AF）是一种心律异常，涉及不规则的，通常是快速的心跳。 每年花费数十亿美元用于诊断和治疗这种疾病。最近的研究表明，使用替代能源，用有限的左心房消融病变组治疗AF和其他结构性心脏病的可行性。这些心脏消融手术减少了进行迷宫手术所需的时间，并且侵入性较小。射频（RF）仍然是首选的能量输送系统，但它有几个严重的局限性，包括需要良好的电极-组织接触。这是困难的，并可能导致浅表病变。连续波激光器和激光二极管已经在实验中使用，虽然这些激光治疗是上级的，但它们需要今天不存在的导管来产生长的连续透壁损伤。智能光学系统（IOS）与其合作者，加州大学洛杉矶分校医学中心和安大略光子学研究中心的Hillel Laks博士，提出开发一种独特的光纤激光能量输送导管用于治疗房颤。这种新仪器将为医生提供一种工具，用于在对周围组织损伤最小的情况下产生可行的病变。 拟议的系统将是一个巨大的改进现有的工具，将是有价值的治疗AF。第一阶段的研究将集中在开发和测试侧发射光纤扩散至少10厘米长，制造和测试的导管的所有关键要素，并概述了工作原型的设计。在第二阶段，导管的工作原型将在加州大学洛杉矶分校医学中心的实验室和动物研究中进行开发和测试。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart rhythm abnormality that involves irregular, and often rapid heartbeats. Billions of dollars are spent annually to diagnosis and treat this disorder. Recent studies demonstrate the feasibility of treating AF and other structural heart diseases with limited, left-atrial ablation lesion sets, using alternative energy sources These cardiac ablation procedures reduce the time required to perform the maze procedure surgery, and are less invasive. Radiofrequency (RF) remains the energy delivery system of choice, but it has several serious limitations, including the need for good electrode-tissue contact. This is difficult, and may lead to superficial lesions. Continuous wave lasers and laser diodes have been used experimentally, and while these laser treatments were superior, they required catheters that do not exist today, for producing long continuous transmural lesions. Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) in conjunction with its collaborators, Dr. Hillel Laks of the UCLA Medical Center and Photonics Research Ontario, proposes to develop a unique fiber optic laser energy delivery catheter for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. This new instrument will provide physicians with a tool for producing viable lesions with minimum damage to the surrounding tissue. The proposed system will be a vast improvement over existing tools and will be valuable for the treatment of AF. Phase I research will focus on developing and testing a side emitting fiber optic diffuser at least 10cm long, fabricating and testing all critical elements of the catheter, and outlining the design of the working prototype. In Phase II, a working prototype of the catheter will be developed and tested in the laboratory, and in animal studies, at the UCLA Medical Center.