Abstract

Following recanalization of a stenotic blood vessel, a photosensitizer is administered by means of a vaso-absorbable stent to maintain the photosensitizer concentration level in the atheromatous plaque and smooth muscle cells in the vicinity of the lesion for a period of 5-18 days, the period in which cell proliferation can occur. The Vaso-Absorbable Stent (VAST) is described along with the method for its use in Photoatherolytic (PAL) Therapy. The VAST device is used post cardiovascular intervention to: a) deliver a series of drugs to prevent cell proliferation leading to restenosis; and, (b) maintain the patency of the treated vessel and prevent elastic recoil of the vessel by providing support for the vessel wall; and c) deliver and maintain a level of photosensitizer to the treatment site which inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and, when activated by light energy, induces cell lysis. The photosensitizer inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and, thus, minimizes or eliminates the possibility of re-stenosis. The photosensitizer is then illuminated at the end of this period, thereby lysing the atheromatous plaque and smooth muscles.