Ultrasound catheter

• US 20070149917A1
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EKOS Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lichttenegger, Gary, Tachibana, Katsuro, Rodriguey, James, Zang, John, Bennett, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 7,914,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• 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 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22021 electric leads passing through the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22042 Details of the tip of the guide wire
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a catheter system. The system comprises a catheter body having a chamber containing a low acoustic impedance medium. The catheter body includes an elongated body with an external surface and an ultrasound transducer having an external side between a first end and a second end. The ultrasound transducer is positioned over the external surface of the elongated body such that the first end is adjacent to the chamber.

Claims

1-63. -63. (canceled)

64. A catheter system comprising:

an elongate, tubular sheath having an interior side and an exterior side, the interior side of the sheath defining a utility lumen;

a hollow, cylindrical ultrasound transducer positioned such that at least a portion of the sheath passes through a hollow core of the ultrasound transducer;

an elongate, tubular catheter body positioned over the ultrasound transducer, such that the ultrasound transducer is positioned within the catheter body; and

a terminal body coupled to a distal end of the catheter body and a distal end of the sheath.

65. The catheter system of claim 64, wherein the ultrasound transducer contacts the exterior side of the sheath.

66. The catheter system of claim 64, further comprising a guidewire configured to be passed through the utility lumen.

67. The catheter system of claim 64, wherein the terminal body includes a utility passage that is aligned with the utility lumen.

68. The catheter system of claim 64, further comprising a fluid inlet port that is hydraulically connected to a proximal region of the utility lumen.

69. The catheter system of claim 64, further comprising a plurality of elongate electrical conductors that are positioned between the sheath and the catheter body.

70. The catheter system of claim 64, wherein at least a portion of the catheter body has an outer diameter of less than about 5 French.

71. The catheter system of claim 64, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned within a distal region of the catheter body.

72. The catheter system of claim 64, wherein a plurality of lumens are formed within the sheath.

73. The catheter system of claim 64, wherein:

a plurality of lumens are formed within the sheath; and

at least two of the plurality of lumens are hydraulically separated.

74. The catheter system of claim 64, wherein the catheter body includes a transducer sheath portion positioned adjacent to the ultrasound transducer, the transducer sheath portion having an increased acoustic transparency as compared to a remaining portion of the catheter body.

75. The catheter system of claim 64, further comprising a plurality of hollow, cylindrical ultrasound transducers that are positioned such that at least a portion of the sheath passes through a hollow core of each of the ultrasound transducers.

76. A method of delivering ultrasound energy and a drug solution to a treatment site, the method comprising:

positioning a guidewire through a clot at the treatment site;

advancing a sheath over the guidewire, such that at least a portion of the guidewire is positioned within a utility lumen defined by the sheath, wherein the sheath includes a drug delivery lumen having drug delivery ports;

removing the guidewire from the utility lumen;

passing a catheter through the utility lumen, the catheter including an ultrasound transducer;

delivering the drug solution to the treatment site through the drug delivery lumen and a drug delivery port;

delivering ultrasonic energy to the treatment site from the ultrasound transducer; and

moving the catheter with respect to the sheath while the ultrasonic energy is being delivered to the treatment site.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the sheath is advanced through the clot.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein the drug solution and the ultrasonic energy are delivered to the treatment site simultaneously.

79. The method of claim 76, further comprising sensing a temperature at the treatment site during delivery of the ultrasound energy.

80. The method of claim 76, wherein the drug solution is a clot dissolution compound.

81. The method of claim 76, wherein the drug solution is delivered through a plurality of drug delivery ports formed in the drug delivery lumen.

82. The method of claim 76, wherein:

the catheter includes a plurality of ultrasound transducers; and

the ultrasonic energy is delivered to the treatment site from the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

83. An apparatus comprising:

an elongate, tubular catheter body that includes a fluid delivery lumen formed therein, the catheter body defining a utility lumen having an internal diameter and a distal exit port;

a plurality of drug delivery ports formed in an exterior surface of the catheter body, the drug delivery ports being in hydraulic communication with the fluid delivery lumen;

an elongate ultrasound assembly having an exterior diameter that is less than the internal diameter of the utility lumen, the ultrasound assembly being configured to be positioned within the utility lumen; and

an ultrasound transducer coupled to the ultrasound assembly.

84. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein the fluid delivery lumen is hydraulically separated from the utility lumen.

85. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein the distal exit port is positioned along a longitudinal axis of the catheter body.

86. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein the distal exit port has a diameter that is less than the utility lumen internal diameter.

87. The apparatus of claim 83, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the elongate ultrasound assembly.

88. The apparatus of claim 83, further comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers coupled to the ultrasound assembly.

89. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein the ultrasound transducer has a hollow cylindrical configuration.

90. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein the distal exit port has a diameter that is less than the ultrasound assembly exterior diameter.