Intravascular lithotripsy catheter with slotted emitter bands
Inventors
Nunes, Kevin • Phan, Huy • Nguyen, Hoa • Coghlan, Kieran
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12035932-B1
Publication Date
2024-07-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
A catheter for treating an occlusion in a body lumen includes an elongate tube; a member sealed to a distal end of the elongate tube that is fillable with a conductive fluid; a cylindrical conductive sheath circumferentially mounted around the elongate tube within the member, the conductive sheath comprising a slot extending along a length of the conductive sheath; and a wire at least partially disposed in the slot, wherein a distal end of the wire is spaced apart from the conductive sheath by a gap in an arrangement such that when a voltage pulse is supplied to the insulated wire current flows across the gap to generate cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter for treating an occlusion in a body lumen. The catheter includes an elongate tube and a distal member sealed to a distal end of the elongate tube, where the distal member is fillable with a conductive fluid. A cylindrical conductive sheath is circumferentially mounted around the elongate tube within the distal member, with first and second slots extending along a length from a proximal end toward a distal end.
First and second wires extend distally along the elongate tube into the first and second slots. Distal ends of the first and second wires are positioned proximally of a distal end of the conductive sheath and are spaced apart from the conductive sheath by respective gaps, such that supplying a voltage pulse to the wires causes current to flow across the gaps. This current generates cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves at the gaps.
The slot geometry can include a longitudinally extending portion parallel to the longitudinal axis and a circumferentially extending portion extending circumferentially around at least a portion with respect to the longitudinal axis. The disclosed arrangement is associated with a reduced catheter crossing profile and forward-biased/directed shock wave propagation relative to a conventional arrangement.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims, an independent catheter claim and an independent system claim, that share a common inventive concept. Across the independent claims, the main inventive features are the conductive fluid-filled distal member, the cylindrical conductive sheath with first and second slots, the proximally positioned wire gaps relative to the distal end of the conductive sheath, and voltage-pulse-driven current across the gaps to generate cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves.
Slots in cylindrical conductive sheath with longitudinal and circumferential portions
A cylindrical conductive sheath circumferentially mounted around the elongate tube within the conductive fluid-filled member, where the conductive sheath comprises first and second slots extending along a length from a proximal end toward a distal end, and where at least one slot comprises a longitudinally extending portion and a circumferentially extending portion.
Proximally positioned wire gaps to generate cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves
First and second wires extending distally along the elongate tube into the first and second slots, with distal ends positioned proximally of a distal end of the conductive sheath and spaced apart from the conductive sheath by respective gaps such that when a voltage pulse is supplied, current flows across the gaps to generate cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves.
Conductive fluid-filled distal member
A member sealed to a distal end of the elongate tube that is fillable with a conductive fluid.
Voltage pulse system producing cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves across wire-to-sheath gaps
A system comprising a catheter with first and second slots and first and second insulated wires having insulated portions and non-insulated distal ends, where each non-insulated distal end is positioned proximally of the distal end of the conductive sheath and spaced apart from the conductive sheath by a gap, and where a power source supplies the wires with a voltage pulse causing current to flow across the gaps to generate cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves at each gap.
Both independent claims center on a catheter or system that positions wire distal ends within first and second slots of a cylindrical conductive sheath so that, under voltage pulses supplied by a power source, current flows across respective gaps to generate cavitation bubbles and/or shock waves. The conductive sheath slot geometry and the sealed conductive fluid-filled distal member are common features across the claims.
Stated Advantages
Reduced catheter crossing profile
Forward-biased/directed shock wave propagation
Documented Applications
Treating an occlusion in a body lumen.
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