SHOCK WAVE CATHETER SYSTEM WITH ARC PRECONDITIONING

• US 20140052145A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shockwave Medical, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shockwave Medical, Incorporated
• Inventors: Adams, John, Holmberg, Randy
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/128
• 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 17/22022 using electric discharge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/225 for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL], e.g. by using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00159 Pulse shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00176 Two pulses, e.g. second pulse having an effect different from the first one
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22021 electric leads passing through the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22062 to be filled with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/06 using electric discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Abstract

A shock wave catheter system and method produces a shock wave with reduced energy. The system includes a catheter and a power source. The catheter has an elongated carrier and a balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto. The balloon is arranged to receive a fluid therein that inflates the balloon. The catheter further includes an arc generator including at least two electrodes within the balloon. The power source is coupled to the at least two electrodes and is configured to grow a bubble at one of the at least two electrodes and then thereafter to rapidly expand the bubble to form a shock wave within the balloon.

Claims

1. A shock wave catheter system, comprising:

a catheter having an elongated carrier, a balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto, the balloon being arranged to receive a fluid therein that inflates the balloon, and an arc generator including at least two electrodes within the balloon; and

a power source that delivers a first electrical voltage across the at least two electrodes that grows a bubble at one of the at least two electrodes and then thereafter delivers a second electrical voltage across the at least two electrodes to create an arc across the at least two electrodes and to rapidly expand the bubble to form a shock wave within the balloon.

2. The shock wave catheter system of claim 1, wherein the second electrical voltage is significantly greater than the first electrical voltage.

3. The shock wave catheter system of claim 2, wherein the first electrical voltage is on the order of 50 volts and the second electrical voltage is between 300 and 10,000 volts.

4. The shock wave catheter system of claim 1, wherein the power source is configured to hold the first electrical voltage for a first time period and to hold the second electrical voltage for a second time period, the first time period being significantly longer in length than the second time period.

5. The shock wave catheter system of claim 4, wherein the first time period is on the order of two milliseconds and the second time period is on the order of one-half microsecond.

6. The shock wave catheter system of claim 1, wherein the balloon is an angioplasty balloon.

7. A shock wave catheter system, comprising:

a catheter having an elongated carrier, a balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto, the balloon being arranged to receive a fluid therein that inflates the balloon, and an arc generator including at least two electrodes within the balloon; and

a power source coupled to the at least two electrodes configured to grow a bubble at one of the at least two electrodes and then thereafter to rapidly expand the bubble to form a shock wave within the balloon.

8. The shock wave catheter system of claim 7, wherein the power source is arranged to grow the bubble during a first time period and to expand the bubble during a second time period, the first time period being longer than the second time period.

9. The shock wave catheter system of claim 8, wherein the power source is arranged to deliver a first voltage to the arc generator during the first time period to grow the bubble and to deliver a second voltage to the arc generator during the second time period to rapidly expand the bubble.

10. The shock wave catheter system of claim 9, wherein the second voltage is greater in magnitude that the first voltage.

11. A method of producing an electrohydraulic shock wave, comprising:

growing a bubble within a fluid during a first time period;

and thereafter, and rapidly expanding the bubble during a second time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the growing step includes providing at least two electrodes within the fluid and delivering a first voltage to the at least two electrodes during a first time period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the expanding step includes delivering a second voltage to the at least two electrodes during a second time period.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage and wherein the first time period is longer than the second time period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second voltage is between 300 and 10,000 volts.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first time period is on the order of two milliseconds and the second time period is on the order of one-half microsecond.