Abstract: A hot tip catheter assembly is disclosed which resolves atherosclerotic plaque buildup in vivo. The catheter has a heater, a cap, a thermocouple, power leads, thermocouple leads, and a central distal lumen to position the catheter within the artery. The catheter tip has a thin, non-adhesive coating of a hard, heat-conducting material. The thermocouple is used to continuously evaluate the temperature at the tip of the catheter, and the temperature is then regulated by a computer-controlled feedback system. The catheter can completely melt the buildup without damage to the artery by direct contact with the plaque, without use of balloon catheter angioplasty.