Power parameters for ultrasonic catheter

• US 10,188,410 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Soltani, Azita, Volz, Kim R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhisma
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schell, Laura
• Application Number:
  US11/971,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20080171965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,039 Days
• Field of Search: 604 20, 604 22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00181 Means for setting or varying the pulse energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00185 Means for setting or varying the pulse height
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0019 Means for setting or varying the pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00194 Means for setting or varying the repetition rate

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of applying ultrasonic energy to a treatment site within a patient'"'"'s vasculature comprises positioning an ultrasound radiating member at a treatment site within a patient'"'"'s vasculature. The method further comprises activating the ultrasound radiating member to produce pulses of ultrasonic energy at a cycle period T≤1 second. The acoustic parameters such as peak power, pulse width, pulse repetition frequency and frequency or any combination of them can be varied non-linearly.

Claims

1. A method of operating an ultrasonic catheter comprising:

advancing a catheter with at least one ultrasonic element to a treatment site in a patient'"'"'s vascular system;

driving the at least one ultrasonic element to generate ultrasonic energy;

delivering a therapeutic compound to the treatment site through the catheter; and

non-linearly varying a power parameter of the at least one ultrasonic element, wherein the power parameter is selected from the group consisting of peak power, pulse repetition frequency, pulse width, and pulse repetition interval,

wherein the peak power is randomly or pseudo randomly distributed between a bounded maximum peak power P_max and a bounded minimum peak power P_min,

wherein the pulse repetition frequency is varied randomly between a bounded maximum pulse repetition frequency and a bounded minimum pulse repetition frequency,

wherein the pulse width is varied randomly within a bounded range, and

wherein the pulse repetition interval is varied randomly within a bounded range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power parameter is the peak power.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment site includes a vascular occlusion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic compound comprises a thrombolytic agent.

5. A method of delivering ultrasound to a patient comprising:

advancing a catheter with at least one ultrasonic element to a treatment site in a patient'"'"'s vascular system;

driving the at least one ultrasonic element to generate ultrasonic energy; and

non-linearly varying a power parameter of the at least one ultrasonic element, wherein the power parameter is selected from the group consisting of peak power, pulse repetition frequency, pulse width, and pulse repetition interval,

wherein the peak power is randomly or pseudo randomly distributed between a bounded maximum peak power P_max and a bounded minimum peak power P_min,

wherein the pulse repetition frequency is varied randomly between a bounded maximum pulse repetition frequency and a bounded minimum pulse repetition frequency,

wherein the pulse width is varied randomly within a bounded range,

wherein the pulse repetition interval is varied randomly within a bounded range, and

wherein the non-linearly varying is performed by a control system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the power parameter is the peak power.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising delivering a therapeutic compound to the patient.