Ultrasound catheter system

• US 10,238,895 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flowcardia Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Flowcardia Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Sarge, Jeff, Summers, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Phong Son H
• Application Number:
  US14/415,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20150190660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00154 pulsed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00172 Pulse trains, bursts, intermittent continuous operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00194 Means for setting or varying the repetition rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00778 Operations on blood vessels A61B2017/22097, A61B2017/320741 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320056 Tunnelers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0043 intra-cavitary
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

An ultrasonic system operable at high drive frequencies and/or in pulsed operation is disclosed. The system may be used in a procedure to treat an occluded blood vessel. The system can be used to transmit ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonic transducer to a distal end of an ultrasonic transmission device. The ultrasonic device may operate at a resonant frequency. The resonant frequency can be determined prior to using the device and/or during use. The ultrasonic device may operate in a range of frequencies at or near resonance. Operational parameters including, for example, reflected vibrations, temperature, and/or user input can be used by the system to adjust the driving waveform.

Claims

1. A therapeutic ultrasonic vibration delivery system comprising:

an elongate ultrasound transmission device having distal and proximal ends;

an ultrasonic driver coupled to the proximal end of the transmission device and having a swept driving mode;

and

a detector coupled to the elongate ultrasound transmission device and configured to determine the displacement of the distal end of the elongate ultrasound transmission device;

wherein the detector is configured to determine the displacement at least in part by detecting a reflected vibration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the swept driving mode continuously sweeps through a range of ultrasonic frequencies.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the range of ultrasonic frequencies includes at least one resonant frequency of the transmission device.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a catheter shaft wherein the transmission device is disposed in the catheter shaft.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector is one or more of a wave detector, a reflected wave detector, a tip displacement detector, a resonant frequency detector, or a wave amplitude detector.

6. A therapeutic ultrasonic vibration delivery system comprising:

an elongate ultrasound transmission device having a distal end and a proximal end;

an ultrasonic driver coupled to the proximal end of the transmission device and configured to transmit ultrasonic vibrations through the transmission device;

and

a detector coupled to the transmission device and configured to determine the displacement of the distal end of the transmission device, wherein the detector is configured to determine the displacement at least in part by detecting a reflected vibration.