| abstract |
A balloon catheter for locating vulnerable plaque lesions within a body lumen comprising a unique balloon mounted on a catheter shaft. The balloon having an uninflated state and being expandable to an inflated state, the balloon further having an inside and an outside, the balloon being made at least partially of at least one temperature responsive material. The at least one temperature responsive material designed to exhibit at least one predetermined color when the material is in contact with an object having an elevated temperature, such as a vulnerable plaque lesion. The catheter having a lumen which allows a light source to transmit light into the inside of the balloon. The light directed to illuminate at least a portion of the temperature responsive material. A light detector positioned to detect the light reflected off of the portion of the temperature responsive material to provide indicate the presence of the suspected lesion based on one or more characteristic changes to the light reflected from the temperature responsive material. |