Method and apparatus for detecting vascular conditions with a catheter

• US 20050215946A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hansmann, Douglas R., Rule, Peter R., Wilcox, Robert L., Villar, Francisco S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,107,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/66
• 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 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00061 spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22084 stone- or thrombus-dissolving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/027 using catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/028 by thermo-dilution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

A method for treating an occlusion comprises positioning a catheter at a treatment site in a patient'"'"'s vasculature. A blockage is located at the treatment site. The method further comprises performing a medical treatment at the treatment site. The medical treatment is configured to reduce the blockage. The method further comprises making a plurality of measurements at the treatment site.

Claims

1. A method of treating a vascular obstruction located at a treatment site within a patient'"'"'s vascular system, comprising:

advancing a neurovascular catheter to the treatment site;

sensing a property at the treatment site with a sensor positioned on the neurovascular catheter;

selecting a treatment parameter based, at least in part, upon the sensed property, and

treating the vascular obstruction.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of advancing the neurovascular catheter to the treatment site comprises advancing the neurovascular catheter into the patient'"'"'s neurovascular system.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of sensing a property at the treatment site comprises sensing a temperature at the treatment site.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of sensing a property at the treatment site comprises sensing a chemical compound at the treatment site.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a treatment parameter based, at least in part, upon the sensed property, comprises adjusting a position of the neurovascular catheter with respect to the obstruction.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a treatment parameter based, at least in part, upon the sensed property, comprises selecting an amount of therapeutic compound provided to the treatment site.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of treating the vascular obstruction comprises delivering ultrasound energy to the treatment site.

8. A method comprising:

positioning a catheter within a patient'"'"'s vasculature, wherein the catheter includes a thermal source and a thermal detector;

delivering thermal energy to the patient'"'"'s vasculature from the thermal source;

making a plurality of temperature measurements using the thermal detector; and

using the temperature measurements to determine the position of the catheter with respect to a blockage in the patient'"'"'s vasculature.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein delivering thermal energy to the patient'"'"'s vasculature from the thermal source comprises delivering ultrasonic energy.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the temperature measurements on a display.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage, wherein the medical treatment includes delivering ultrasonic energy and a therapeutic compound from the catheter to the patient'"'"'s vasculature.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage, wherein the medical treatment comprises deploying a clot capture device from the catheter.

14. A method of treating an obstruction within a patient'"'"'s vasculature, comprising:

positioning a catheter at a treatment site in the patient'"'"'s vasculature, wherein a blockage is located at the treatment site;

performing a medical treatment at the treatment site, the medical treatment configured to reduce the blockage;

making a plurality of temperature measurements at the treatment site; and

using the temperature measurements to evaluate the reduction in the blockage.

15. A method of treating a vascular obstruction located at a treatment site within a patient'"'"'s vascular system, comprising:

advancing a catheter with a guidewire lumen over a guidewire to the treatment site;

removing the guidewire from the guidewire lumen;

advancing a sensor through the catheter guidewire lumen;

sensing a condition of the treatment site with the sensor; and

treating the vascular obstruction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising removing the sensor from the catheter before treating the vascular obstruction.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising treating the vascular obstruction with ultrasound energy.

18. A catheter for treating a vascular obstruction, comprising:

an elongated tubular body configured to be inserted into a vascular system, the elongated tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end and defining a drug delivery lumen with at least one opening positioned at a treatment zone of the catheter;

an optical sensor positioned at the treatment zone of the catheter;

at least one fiber optic fiber extending from the optical sensor to the proximal end of the catheter.

19. The catheter as in claim 18, further comprising at least one ultrasound element positioned within the treatment zone.

20. A catheter for treating a vascular obstruction, comprising:

an elongated tubular body configured to be inserted into a vascular system,

a drug delivery lumen defined at least in part by the tubular body;

a sensor element configured to be inserted into the tubular body and to extend from the distal end to the proximal end of the catheter, the sensor element comprising at least one fiber optic fiber and an optical sensor.

21. A catheter for treating a vascular obstruction, comprising:

an elongated tubular body configured to be inserted into a vascular system, the elongated tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end and defining a drug delivery lumen with at least one opening positioned at a treatment zone of the catheter;

an optical sensor positioned at the treatment zone of the catheter;

at least one fiber optic fiber extending from the optical sensor to the proximal end of the catheter.

22. A system for treating a vascular obstruction within a patient'"'"'s neurovascular vascular system, comprising:

an elongated tubular body configured to be inserted into the vascular system, the elongated tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end and defining a drug delivery lumen with at least one opening positioned at a treatment zone of the catheter;

an ultrasound element positioned within the treatment zone;

a sensor positioned at the treatment zone of the catheter; and

a display unit configured to display information gathered by the sensor.