In vivo ultrasonic system with angioplasty and ultrasonic contrast imaging
First Claim
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1. An ultrasonic system comprising an ultrasonic power generator including a horn, a high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire connected to said horn, said high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire being formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000.
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Abstract
An instrument and method for removing an obstruction from a human body lumen, such as an artery, is provided wherein the distal end of an ultrasonic transmission member is inserted within the artery and is connected at its proximal end to an ultrasonic power generator including a horn. A high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire is connected to the horn which is formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000.
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Citations
22 Claims
- 1. An ultrasonic system comprising an ultrasonic power generator including a horn, a high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire connected to said horn, said high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire being formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000.
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5. A high efficiency ultrasound transmission member, comprising
a wire which is formed from a material having a Q greater than about 50,000; connecting means for connecting the wire to the horn of an ultrasound generator. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- 12. A high efficiency ultrasound transmission wire that has been machined from a bar of material and is formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000, and a microtip of a horn connected to one end of said wire for transferring ultrasound thereto.
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18. An ultrasonic device for reducing an obstruction in a human body lumen defined by an anatomical wall, said device comprising:
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a. an ultrasonic power generator for generating ultrasonic energy, and ultrasonic power generator including; (i) an ultrasonic frequency electric wave generator, (ii) a transducer-converter for converting said ultrasonic frequency electric wave to an ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave, and (iii) a horn for altering the wave form of said ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave produced by said transducer-converter and for emitting said ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave from said ultrasonic power generator, b. an ultrasonic transmission wire having a proximal end connected to said horn and a distal end remote therefrom, said transmission wire being disposable within said human body lumen with said distal end adjacent said obstruction for transmitting ultrasonic mechanical energy from the horn of said ultrasonic generator to said obstruction without substantially altering the ultrasonic wave form applied to the proximal end thereof, to thereby reduce the size of said obstruction at said distal end, c. said transmission wire being made of a material having a mechanical Q of not less than about 50,000, whereby to permit the efficient transmission of ultrasonic energy through said transmission wire and to prevent said transmission wire when disposed in said lumen from heating up during the transmission of said ultrasonic energy to an extent that would injure said anatomical wall defining said lumen and any body fluid within said lumen. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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- 21. A method for transmitting ultrasound energy, particularly high power ultrasound, over a long flexible transmission wire, comprising transmitting the ultrasound energy using a long flexible transmission wire which is constructed of a material having a Q greater than about 50,000.
Specification