1. An interventional tool suitable for measuring the temperature of or temperature variations in a vessel wall in the body of a patient, the interventional tool comprising:
an elongated member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the elongated member having proximal and distal ends;
a thermal sensor carried by the elongated member, the thermal sensor being suitable for detecting the temperature of walls of a vessel the elongated member is inserted into to facilitate the detection of vulnerable plaque within the vessel; and
a stent delivery device carried by the elongated member, the stent delivery device being suitable for delivering a stent to a selected segment of a vessel the elongated member is inserted into.
2. An interventional tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the stent delivery device includes an expander for expanding a stent carried by the elongated member.
3. An interventional tool as recited in claim 2 further comprising an expandable stent positioned to be delivered by the stent delivery device.
4. An interventional tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the interventional tool takes the form of a catheter and the elongated member is a flexible tubular member, the interventional tool further comprising an expansion device carried by the elongated member that carries the thermal sensor, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensor adjacent the vessel wall.
5. An interventional tool as recited in claim 4 wherein the expander includes a first balloon.
6. An interventional tool as recited in claim 4 wherein the expander includes a first balloon and a sheath member formed from a second balloon material; and
a plurality of additional thermal sensors are provided, the thermal sensors being sandwiched between the first and second balloons.
7. An interventional tool comprising:
an elongated member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the elongated member having proximal and distal ends;
at least one thermal sensor carried by the elongated member, each thermal sensor being suitable for detecting the temperature of walls of a vessel the elongated member is inserted into to facilitate the detection of vulnerable plaque within the vessel; and
a deployment lumen within the elongated member, the deployment lumen being sized suitably for receiving a stent delivery catheter therethrough, the deployment lumen having a distal port that permits the distal portion of the stent delivery catheter to pass therethrough to exit the elongated member to permit deployment of a stent.
8. An interventional tool as recited in claim 7 further comprising at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel.
9. An interventional tool as recited in claim 8 wherein at least some of the infusion ports are located between adjacent thermal sensors.
10 A thermal mapping system including:
a interventional tool as recited in claim 1; and
a display device arranged to receive the signals from the thermal sensors and display a thermal map of a longitudinal section of the vessel that shows temperature variations along the vessel to facilitate identifying a region of vulnerable plaque.
11. A method of thermally mapping and treating a vessel comprising:
inserting a catheter having thermal sensors into the vessel;
identifying a region of vulnerable plaque by sensing temperatures or temperature variations along the using the thermal sensors; and
delivering a stent carried by or inserted through the catheter to the identified region of vulnerable plaque.
12. A method of thermally mapping and treating a vessel comprising:
inserting a catheter having thermal sensors into the vessel;
identifying a region of vulnerable plaque by sensing temperatures or temperature variations along the using the thermal sensors; and
using the catheter to heat the identified region of vulnerable plaque to induce apoptosis in inflammatory cells associated with the vulnerable plaque.
13. An interventional tool suitable for measuring the temperature of or temperature variations in a vessel wall in the body of a patient, the interventional tool comprising:
an elongated member suitable for insertion in a vessel in the body of a patient, the elongated member having proximal and distal ends;
a thermal sensor carried by the elongated member, the thermal sensor being suitable for detecting an indication of the temperature of or temperature variations in walls of a vessel the elongated member is inserted into to facilitate the detection of vulnerable plaque within the vessel;
an expansion device carried by the elongated member, the expansion device being suitable for positioning the thermal sensor against the vessel wall; and
a heater arranged to heat a selected vulnerable plaque containing segment of a vessel the elongated member is inserted into to a temperature sufficient to induce apoptosis in inflammatory cells associated with the vulnerable plaque.
14. An interventional tool as recited in claim 13 wherein the heater is a heating means for delivering heat to the selected segment of the vessel. 15. An interventional tool as recited in claim 13 wherein the heater is an antenna suitable for delivering electromagnetic energy to facilitate heating.
16. An interventional tool as recited in claim 13 wherein the heater is a resistive heater.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for manufacturing S-shaped bent edge on heat-isolating protection metal component comprising the following steps:
place in order an upper layer of metal base plate (1) and a lower layer of metal base plate (2) as well as a middle layer of heat-isolating materials (3) in between according to the requirements of the outward appearance and dimension and the various layers of the product; fix the metal base plates (1, 2) with the heat-isolating materials (3) by means known in the art;
form one or more J-shaped edges (4) on the base plates by conventional stamping means, the J-shaped edges (4) of the base plates are perpendicular to the horizontal portion of the metal base plates (1); each of the J-shaped edges (4) of the base plates has an outwardly bent curve with a crown (5) and a curve end (6);
by means of a stamping step performed by an upper mold M1 with a concave surface and a flat surface and a lower mold M2 with a flat surface, the concave surface of the mold M1 exerts lateral force onto the curve ends (6) so that the J-shaped edges (4) of the base plates inwardly bend towards the upper metal base plate (1); then during the process when the mold M1 continuous to press longitudinally downward, the horizontal flat surface of the edge pressing part exerts vertical force to the crowns (5) so that the J-shaped edges (4) are compressed into a construction with S-shaped bent edges.
2. The method for manufacturing S-shaped bent edge on heat-isolating protection metal component as in claim 1, wherein the middle layer is formed by thermal insulating material (3) of ceramic fiber, glass fiber or graphite fiber, or alternatively it is an air layer.