Laser-Ultrasound Tissue Characterisation Methods for Potential Use in Laser Angioplasty Procedures

Abstract

Angioplasty has become a common procedure for the treatment of arteriosclerosis, and a popular form of angioplasty is balloon angioplasty. The procedure involves the insertion of a balloon into the artery at the location of the blockage. The balloon is then inflated so that the blockage is compressed. This method has disadvantages in that the occlusion is likely to reoccur, necessitating further treatment. It is also difficult to insert the balloon in the case of total or near total occlusions. More recently lasers have been used to ablate arterial blockages. However successful treatment is dependent on adequate guidance in order to ensure both precise alignment and correct identification of diseased areas.