Abstract: A system and method for performing balloon angioplasty treatment on a patient. The system includes a catheter for insertion into an artery of the patient, a balloon coupled to the catheter with the balloon expandable by fluid passed through the catheter in order to apply pressure to plaque lesions deposited on vascular tissue of the artery. The balloon includes a PVDF piezoelectric transducer for sensing acoustic emission signals generated by deformation of the plaque lesions and the vascular tissue. The acoustic emission signals can be analyzed by frequency analysis, time domain analysis and wavelet analysis followed by neural net correlation evaluation.

Abstract: An elongated, radially-expandable, intravascular lung assist device is formed by first stretching an elastomeric tubular core, then arranging a plurality of axially-spaced bundles of straight, flexible, hollow fibers formed of gas-permeable material around said core and securing the end portions of each bundle to the core while it is in stretched condition, and then relieving the stretching forces on said core to cause said fibers of each bundle to flex outwardly and form a rosette of outwardly-arched fibers. The core has at least two longitudinal gas-flow passages with lateral openings located at spaced intervals which communicate through manifold chambers at the ends of the bundles for the circulation of gases through the fibers. In use of the device, the core is stretched longitudinally to straighten the bowed fibers and, following insertion of the device into the lumen of a blood vessel, such stretching forces are relieved to allow the bundles to expand radially in situ.