A catheter system for treating a vascular lesion within or adjacent to a vessel wall within a body of a patient includes a single light source that generates light energy, a first light guide and a second light guide, and a multiplexer. The first light guide and the second light guide are each configured to selectively receive light energy from the light source. The multiplexer receives the light energy from the light source in the form of a source beam and selectively directs the light energy from the light source in the form of individual guide beams to each of the first light guide and the second light guide.

Articles of manufacture, including terminations of or attachments to optical fibers are configured to substantially prevent axial emission and redirect radially most if not all light emanating from optical fibers. In that, a termination may include a fiber cap of a unitary construction of a tube and an optical element disposed to face a sealed end of the tube and dividing a hollow of the tube and having a conical surface, or an optical element dividing the hollow and complemented by a cone. An example of termination includes an optical fiber element having an up-tapered end with a maximum taper-diameter exceeding the core-diameter and ending at a conical element with an apex angle from about 70° to about 100°. Articles of manufacture additionally including mounting contraptions cooperating such terminations with cannulae to form an attachment to a laser system. Methods for transmitting light through such articles of manufacture.

The device comprises: —an outer tubular structure (21) having a closed terminal end; —an inner tubular structure (23), positioned in the outer tubular structure, having a terminal end and defining an inner volume, configured to receive a light guide. A first coolant circulation gap (25) is formed between the outer tubular structure and the inner tubular structure. Between the outer tubular structure (21) and the inner tubular structure (23) a first spacer (33) is located, which develops helically around the longitudinal axis (A-A) of the outer tubular structure (21).

An illumination system for medical therapeutic and/or diagnostic system is provided. The illumination system includes a laser light source and a light guide. The light guide has a proximal end that is connectable and/or assignable to the one laser light source. The light guide has a distal end with a diffuser element having a radial, spherical emission characteristic. The diffuser element includes a diffuser main body made of an inorganic material, in particular a glass, a glass ceramic, a glass-like substance or a composite substance of the aforementioned substances. The diffuser main body has a scattering element and has a surface that is pore-free and smooth.

Various methods, systems, and devices for treating tissue ablation are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein pertain to methods of treating tumors, systems used for irradiating tissue and tumors with electromagnetic radiation, components and devices of that system, and kits for providing systems used for irradiating tissue and tumors with electromagnetic radiation. In some embodiments, the system provides sub-ablative infrared radiation that is absorbed by nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the nanoparticles absorb the radiation converting it into heat energy. In some embodiments, though the infrared radiation itself may be sub-ablative, the heat energy generated by the nanoparticles is sufficient to cause thermal coagulation, hyperthermia, and/or tissue ablation.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve includes an energy source, a balloon, an energy guide, and an electrical analyzer assembly. The energy source generates energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The energy guide is configured to receive energy from the energy source and guide the energy into the balloon interior. The electrical analyzer assembly is configured to monitor a balloon condition during use of the catheter system. The electrical analyzer assembly can include a first electrode, a second electrode, and an impedance detector that is electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode. The impedance detector is configured to detect impedance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

The device comprises an outer tubular structure (21) having a closed terminal end, and an inner tubular structure (23) positioned in the outer tubular structure (21) and having a side wall with a terminal end and defining an inner volume. A first gap for circulation of a coolant is formed between the outer tubular structure and the inner tubular structure. A light guide (27) is housed in the inner volume of the inner tubular structure (23). The light guide comprises an optical fiber (28) and a diffuser (30) optically coupled to a distal end of the optical fiber. The diffuser is at least partially made of a material diffusing to the electromagnetic radiation conveyed by the light guide, and has a curved shape.

Low power light therapy device for treating the eye, comprising a light source emitting monochromatic or quasi monochromatic light in a wavelength range between 600-700 nm and/or 780-950 nm, and the device comprises a beam expander (2) positioned in the path of the light emitted from the light source and at least one light scattering element (3) arranged past the beam expander (2) and the light intensity at the site of the treatment is smaller than 1 mW/cm.sup.2, which is substantially smaller than the output intensity of the light source.

An apparatus for obtaining an anti-tumour immunologic response by thermotherapy of a treatment lesion covering at least a portion of a tumour is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a heating probe comprising an optical fiber and a cooling catheter. The optical fiber is inserted in the cooling catheter. Further the heating probe has a light emitting area, and the heating probe is interstitially insertable into the tumour of the treatment lesion. The heat probe is internally cooled by a fluid circulating in said catheter. The apparatus further comprises a first thermal sensor member having at least one sensor area. The first thermal sensor member is positionable at a distance from said boundary. The apparatus also comprises a control unit for controlling a power output of said light source based on a measured first temperature.

The device comprises at least a laser source (5); an optical fiber (1) with an optical radiation entrance end (1.2) and an optical radiation output end (1.1); and a coupling system (8) for coupling the laser source (5) and the optical fiber (1), adapted to inject an optical radiation emitted by the laser source (5) into the entrance end (1.2) of the optical fiber (1). The optical fiber (1) is a multi-mode optical fiber. The coupling system (8) is adapted to inject the optical radiation into the optical fiber (1) with such an inclination (a) as to reduce or eliminate the fundamental transmission mode and to promote the transmission according to at least one higher-order transmission mode The optical radiation at the output end (1.1) of the optical fiber (1) has a cone-shaped distribution (3) wherein the intensity is maximal on the peripheral volume of an emission cone and is minimal inside the emission cone.