Abstract: Provided are a medical instrument capable of operating the entire treatment target site with a single irradiation. The medical instrument is inserted into a living body and performs light irradiation on the treatment target site. The medical instrument includes a lengthy medical instrument body having at least one of lumens, and in the medical instrument body, lengthy light diffusers, and a lengthy reflector having a reflection surface for reflecting light, each being inserted to be extended along the longitudinal direction. The medical instrument body includes a transparent outer wall portion that is optically transparent and extended along the longitudinal direction. The light diffusers includes an irradiation section for irradiating light on the treatment target site and a light receiving section for receiving light from the treatment target site, the light diffusers being arranged to face the reflection surface and the transparent outer wall portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device and a phototherapy system that include a light diffuser that transmits light to a site to be treated and electrodes for measuring electric potential and that allow phototherapy and measurement of electric potential using a single device. A medical device is inserted into a living body and transmit light to a site to be treated to treat the site. The medical device includes a distal end portion that has a long tube and a long outer wall of the distal end portion, the wall being provided with electrodes exposed on the outer surface of the tube, and long light-diffusers disposed inside the outer wall of the distal end portion. The distal end portion includes a light transmission equalizer for equalizing light transmission along the length direction of the outer wall of the distal end portion.

Abstract: A light-emitting probe mounting kit that can easily be combined with and externally mounted to a medical device that is selected by an operator. The light-emitting probe mounting kit for a medical device is provided with: a light transmission section that transmits light from a light source; a light-emitting probe that is connected to the light transmission section and that emits the light that is transmitted by the light transmission section; and externally mounting sections that are for externally mounting the light-emitting probe to an outer portion of a medical device that is inserted and used within a living body. The externally mounting sections comprise a heat-shrinkable tube having a space into which the medical device can be inserted prior to heat shrinkage. The heat-shrinkable tubes are fixed to the light-emitting probe.

Abstract: The provided is a therapy-progress-level monitoring device and a method thereof, providing information, in real time during a therapy, regarding the depth of extracellular photodynamic therapy.

Abstract: A photodynamic therapy apparatus as an estimating apparatus is an apparatus for irradiating a tissue having absorbed photo-sensitive pharmaceutical, the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical absorbing an excitation light and emitting fluorescence, with the excitation light emitted from a tip portion of a laser catheter, including a connector, a light source, and a light detection unit. The laser catheter is capable of being attached to and detached from the connector. The light source outputs the excitation light to the laser catheter via the connector. The light detection unit detects intensity or a spectrum of the fluorescence, the fluorescence being entered from the laser catheter via the connector, to estimate whether the tissue has changed because of reaction between the excitation light emitted from the tip portion of the laser catheter and the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical absorbed in the tissue.

Abstract: This invention provides a catheter used for blocking abnormal conduction in the cardiac muscle using photodynamic therapy or treating arrhythmia and a method for evaluating the therapeutic effects of the catheter. The catheter has a structure that freely bends at its end, which is used for performing photodynamic ablation of cardiac muscle tissue via photochemical reactions in the blood vessel or cardiac lumen. The catheter comprises a light-emitting window for applying a light beam transmitted through an optical fiber to a target site of cardiac muscle tissue and at least two electrodes for potential measurement in the periphery of the light-emitting window.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and a system for preventing charring at a laser beam emitting site during treatment or diagnosis using a laser catheter for applying a laser beam. The method is intended to control laser beam irradiation of an apparatus equipped with a laser catheter comprising a laser beam transmission means and a laser beam emitting site used for diagnosis or treatment with the irradiation of the inside of a blood vessel or heart cavity with a laser beam. The method for controlling laser beam irradiation is intended to prevent blood charring at a laser emission site of an apparatus equipped with a laser catheter, and the method comprises a step of controlling a laser beam output in accordance with temporal changes in the intensity of the diffuse reflected light beam by erythrocytes applied to the inside of a blood vessel or heart cavity.

Abstract: To provide a laser therapy apparatus that is capable of determining a contact state between a tip portion of a laser catheter and a tissue, which includes a buried state of the tip portion in the tissue, a laser therapy system, and a determination method.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a calculation apparatus and a calculation method capable of calculating pharmaceutical concentration in a tissue in real time. [Solving Means] A photodynamic therapy apparatus as a calculation apparatus is an apparatus for irradiating a tissue having absorbed photo-sensitive pharmaceutical, the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical absorbing an excitation light and emitting fluorescence, with the excitation light emitted from a tip portion of a laser catheter, including a connector, a light source, and a light detection unit. The laser catheter is capable of being attached/detached to/from the connector. The light source outputs the excitation light to the laser catheter via the connector. The light detection unit detects intensity of the fluorescence, the fluorescence being entered from the laser catheter via the connector, to calculate concentration of the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical in a tissue, the tip portion of the laser catheter contacting the tissue.

Abstract: A photodynamic therapy apparatus as a determining apparatus is the photodynamic therapy apparatus for irradiating a tissue having absorbed photo-sensitive pharmaceutical, the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical absorbing an excitation light and emitting fluorescence, or a tissue absorbing the excitation light and emitting fluorescence, with the excitation light emitted from a tip portion of a laser catheter, including a connector, a light source, and a light detection unit. The laser catheter is capable of being attached/detached to/from the connector. The light source outputs the excitation light to the laser catheter via the connector. The light detection unit detects intensity or a spectrum of the fluorescence, the fluorescence being entered from the laser catheter via the connector, to determine whether the tip portion of the laser catheter contacts the tissue or not.

Abstract: A photodynamic therapy apparatus as an estimating apparatus is an apparatus for irradiating a tissue having absorbed photo-sensitive pharmaceutical, the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical absorbing an excitation light and emitting fluorescence, with the excitation light emitted from a tip portion of a laser the catheter, including a connector, a light source, and a light detection unit. The laser the catheter is capable of being attached/detached to/from the connector. The light source outputs the excitation light to the laser the catheter via the connector. The light detection unit detects intensity or a spectrum of the fluorescence, the fluorescence being entered from the laser the catheter via the connector, to estimate whether the tissue has changed because of reaction between the excitation light emitted from the tip portion of the laser the catheter and the photo-sensitive pharmaceutical absorbed in the tissue.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and a system for preventing charring at a laser beam emitting site during treatment or diagnosis using a laser catheter for applying a laser beam. The method is intended to control laser beam irradiation of an apparatus equipped with a laser catheter comprising a laser beam transmission means and a laser beam emitting site used for diagnosis or treatment with the irradiation of the inside of a blood vessel or heart cavity with a laser beam. The method for controlling laser beam irradiation is intended to prevent blood charring at a laser emission site of an apparatus equipped with a laser catheter, and the method comprises a step of controlling a laser beam output in accordance with temporal changes in the intensity of the diffuse reflected light beam by erythrocytes applied to the inside of a blood vessel or heart cavity.

Abstract: This invention provides a catheter used for blocking abnormal conduction in the cardiac muscle using photodynamic therapy or treating arrhythmia and a method for evaluating the therapeutic effects of the catheter. The catheter has a structure that freely bends at its end, which is used for performing photodynamic ablation of cardiac muscle tissue via photochemical reactions in the blood vessel or cardiac lumen. The catheter comprises a light-emitting window for applying a light beam transmitted through an optical fiber to a target site of cardiac muscle tissue and at least two electrodes for potential measurement in the periphery of the light-emitting window.