POWER PARAMETERS FOR ULTRASONIC CATHETER

• US 20110004105A1
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Volz, Kim R., Soltani, Azita
• Granted Patent: US 8,192,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/466
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22004 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves A61B17/225 takes precedence
• 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 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00088 using thermistors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00092 using thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22008 used or promoted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22084 stone- or thrombus-dissolving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0041 Removal of thrombosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0039 using microbubbles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

An ultrasound catheter system and a method for operating an ultrasonic catheter at a treatment site within a patient'"'"'s vasculature or tissue are disclosed. The ultrasound catheter system comprises a catheter having at least one ultrasonic element and a control system configured to generate power parameters that drive the at least one ultrasonic element to generate ultrasonic energy. The control system is configured to vary at least one of the power parameters and at least one physiological parameter by ramping the power parameter and the physiological parameter between two set of minimum and maximum values.

Claims

1. An ultrasound catheter system comprising:

a catheter having at least one ultrasonic element;

a control system configured to generate power parameters that drive the at least one ultrasonic element to generate ultrasonic energy;

wherein the control system is configured to vary at least one of the power parameters and at least one physiological parameter, wherein the power parameters include at least peak power;

the peak power is repeatedly ramped between a first minimum value and a first maximum value; and

the physiological parameter is repeatedly ramped between a second minimum value and a second maximum value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the peak power is ramped up- and down-wards in a linear manner.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the peak power is ramped up- and down-wards in a non-linear or pseudo-linear manner.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter is ramped up- and down-wards in a linear manner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter is ramped up- and down-wards in a non-linear or pseudo-linear manner.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the peak power is ramped by moving through discrete peak power values.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter is ramped by moving through discrete physiological parameter values.

8. 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 or tissue;

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

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

varying a power parameter and a physiological parameter of the ultrasonic element, wherein the power parameter includes at least peak power, and wherein varying the power parameter and the physiological parameter comprises;

repeatedly ramping the peak power between a first maximum value and a first minimum value; and

repeatedly ramping the physiological parameter between a second minimum value and a second maximum value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the peak power and the physiological parameter are ramped up- and down-wards in a linear manner.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the peak power and the physiological parameter are ramped up- and down-wards in a non-linear or pseudo-linear manner

11. The method of claim 8, wherein ramping the peak power comprises moving through discrete peak power values, and ramping the physiological parameter comprises moving through discrete physiological parameter values.