US Patent 7153299 Optical apparatus for detecting and treating vulnerable plaque

An optical apparatus and methods for monitoring temperature enabling detection and treatment of a vulnerable plaque of a patient comprising an elongate catheter, a plurality of outer optical fibers deployably disposed within the lumen of the catheter and suitably expandable in an outwardly radial manner configured for forming a basket shape, the outer fibers having at least one optical grating along an axis of the fiber wherein the at least one optical grating reflects a certain wavelength or intensity of the light beam, the certain wavelength or intensity of the reflected light beam being correlated to known temperature, and a longitudinal middle optical fiber emitting a light energy suitable for photodynamic therapy.