Shock wave catheter system with arc preconditioning

• US 9,138,249 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shockwave Medical, Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Shockwave Medical, Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Adams, John, Holmberg, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): MILES, JONATHAN WADE
• Application Number:
  US13/777,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 wherein the first voltage is insufficient to create an arc across the electrodes and then thereafter delivers a second electrical voltage across the at least two electrodes, with the second voltage being greater than the first voltage and sufficient 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 first electrical voltage is on the order of 50 volts and the second electrical voltage is between 300 and 10,000 volts.

3. 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 longer in length than the second time period.

4. The shock wave catheter system of claim 3, 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.

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

6. A method of producing an electrohydraulic shock wave in a vessel to treat calcified lesions comprising the steps of:

advancing a catheter into the vessel, said catheter having an elongated carrier and a balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto, and an arc generator including at least two electrodes within the balloon;

inflating the balloon with fluid;

applying a first voltage across the electrodes to grow a bubble within the fluid during a first time period wherein the first voltage is insufficient to create an arc across the electrodes; and

thereafter,

applying a second voltage across the electrodes to rapidly expand the bubble during a second time period with the second voltage being greater than the first voltage and sufficient to create an arc across the at least two electrodes, said rapidly expanding bubble forming a shock wave for treating the calcified lesion.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first time period is longer than the second time period.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second voltage is between 300 and 10,000 volts.

9. The method of claim 6 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.