Apparatus and method to perform therapeutic treatment and diagnosis of a
patient's vasculature through the use of an intravascular device having
an optical fiber disposed therein. In an embodiment of this invention,
the apparatus includes a therapeutic guidewire and at least one optical
fiber disposed through the therapeutic guidewire, the optical fiber
capable of providing diagnostic information before, during, and after the
therapeutic treatment. In an embodiment, diagnostic information includes
vessel and blood characteristics such as hemodynamic characteristics,
hematological parameters related to blood and blood components, and
thermal parameters of the vasculature.