Ultrasound assembly with increased efficacy

• US 7,976,483 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Rodriguey, James E., Bennett, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy; Baisakhi
• Application Number:
  US10/735,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/439, 600/471, 600/446, 600/459, 600/465, 600/462, 600/469, 600/467, 600/472, 601/2, 604/22, 604/500
• US Class Current: 601/2
• 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 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• 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: A61B 2017/22082 after introduction of a substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22084 stone- or thrombus-dissolving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22088 ultrasound absorbing, drug activated by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320084 Irrigation sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0047 Sonopheresis, i.e. ultrasonically-enhanced transdermal delivery, electroporation of a pharmacologically active agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0057 Catheters delivering medicament other than through a conventional lumen, e.g. porous walls or hydrogel coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/058 with ultrasound therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0674 and a low impedance backing, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0677 and a high impedance backing
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/02 Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/162 : Selection of materials

Abstract

A catheter system is disclosed. The catheter system includes a catheter body having an external surface and an ultrasound transducer having a side between a first end and a second end. A first medium is positioned adjacent to the first end of the ultrasound transducer and a second medium is positioned adjacent to the external side of the ultrasound transducer. The second medium is harder than the first medium to encourage flexibility of the catheter body adjacent to the first end of the ultrasound transducer and efficient transmission of ultrasound energy from the external side of the ultrasound transducer.

Claims

1. A catheter system comprising:

a catheter body having an exterior surface and including

an ultrasound transducer having an external side between a first end and a second end,

a first binding medium adjacent to the first end of the ultrasound transducer, and

a second binding medium adjacent to the external side of the ultrasound transducer, the second medium being harder that the first medium.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first binding medium is more flexible than the second medium.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a transducer sheath is positioned over the ultrasound transducer and the second binding medium occupies a volume between the transducer sheath and the external surface of the catheter body.

4. The catheter of claim 1 wherein an assembly sheath is positioned over the ultrasound transducer and the second binding medium occupies a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the assembly sheath.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a catheter sheath defines at least a portion of the external surface of the catheter body and the second binding medium occupies a volume between the catheter sheath and the ultrasound transducer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first binding medium is positioned between the second binding medium and the external surface of the catheter body.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the catheter body includes a second ultrasound transducer having a side between a first end and a second end.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second binding medium is at least 3 times harder than the first binding medium.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second binding medium is about 4 to 5 times harder than the first binding medium.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first binding medium has a hardness of at least about 10 Shore D.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the catheter body includes a second ultrasound transducer having a side between a first end and a second end.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first binding medium occupies a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the second ultrasound transducer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second binding medium is positioned between the side of the second ultrasound transducer and the external surface of the catheter body.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned over an elongated body.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the catheter body includes a second elongated body coupled with the elongated body and the first binding medium occupies a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the second elongated body.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the catheter body includes a terminal body coupled with the elongated body and the first binding medium occupies a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the terminal body.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a lumen sized to receive a guidewire extends longitudinally through the catheter body.

18. A method of fabricating a catheter body, comprising:

providing an ultrasound transducer having a side between a first end and a second end;

positioning the ultrasound transducer over an elongated body having an external surface;

forming a first binding medium adjacent the first end of the ultrasound transducer; and

forming a second binding medium adjacent to the side of the ultrasound transducer, the second binding medium being more transmissive of ultrasound energy than the first binding medium.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first binding medium is more flexible than the second binding medium.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein delivering the second binding medium includes

positioning an assembly sheath over the ultrasound transducer, and

delivering the second binding medium into a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the assembly sheath.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein delivering the first binding medium includes

positioning a catheter sheath over the assembly sheath and delivering the first binding medium into a volume between the assembly sheath and the catheter sheath.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein delivering the second binding medium includes

positioning a transducer sheath over the ultrasound transducer,

positioning an assembly sheath over the transducer sheath, and

delivering the second binding medium into a volume between the transducer sheath and the external surface of the catheter body.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein delivering the second binding medium includes

positioning a catheter sheath over the ultrasound transducer, and

delivering the second binding medium into a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the catheter sheath.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein delivering the first binding medium includes

delivering the first binding medium into a volume between the external surface of the elongated body and the catheter sheath.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the second binding medium is harder than the first binding medium.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the second binding medium is at least 3 times harder than the first binding medium.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the second binding medium is about 3 to 5 times harder than the first binding medium.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the first binding medium has a hardness of at least about 10 Shore D.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the first binding medium has a hardness of about 20 to 40 Shore D.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

forming the second binding medium adjacent to the side of the second ultrasound transducer.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the second binding medium has a hardness of at least 65 shore D.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the second binding medium has a hardness from about 65 to about 120 Shore D.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the first binding medium has a hardness of at least 10 and the second binding medium has a hardness of at least 65 Shore D.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the first binding medium has a hardness from about 20 to about 40 Shore D and the second binding medium has a hardness from about 80 to about 100 Shore D.

35. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

positioning a second ultrasound transducer over the elongated body, the second ultrasound transducer having a side between a first end and a second end.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein forming the first binding medium includes delivering the first binding medium into a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the second ultrasound transducer.

37. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

coupling the elongated body with a second elongated body.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein coupling the elongated body with a second elongated body includes aligning a lumen within the elongated body with a lumen within the second elongated body.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein forming the first binding medium includes

delivering the first binding medium into a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the second elongated body.

40. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

coupling the elongated body with a terminal body.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein forming the first binding medium includes delivering the first binding medium into a volume between the ultrasound transducer and the terminal body.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein coupling the elongated body with a terminal body includes aligning a lumen within the elongated body with a lumen within the terminal body.

43. A catheter system comprising:

a catheter body having an exterior surface and including

an ultrasound transducer having an external side between a first end and a second end,

a first binding medium adjacent to the first end of the ultrasound transducer and having a hardness of at least about 10 Shore D, and

a second binding medium adjacent to the external side of the ultrasound transducer, the second medium being harder that the first binding medium.