Described herein are shock wave devices and methods for the treatment of calcified heart valves. One variation of a shock wave device includes three balloons that are each sized and shaped to fit within a concave portion of a valve cusp when inflated with a liquid and a shock wave source within each of the three balloons. Each balloon is separately and/or independently inflatable, and each shock wave source is separately and/or independently controllable. Methods of treating calcified heart valves using a shock wave device can include advancing a shock wave device having one or more balloons and a shock wave source in each of the balloons to contact a heart valve, inflating the one or more balloons with a liquid such that the balloon is seated within a concave portion of a valve cusp, and activating the shock wave source.

A catheter system (100) usable for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (108A) of a blood vessel (108) or a heart valve within a body (107) of a patient (109), the catheter system (100) can include an energy source (124) that generates energy, a catheter (102) that includes an energy guide (122A) that receives the energy from the energy source (124), and a system controller (126) that is coupled to the energy source (124), the system controller (126) being configured to: (i) monitor real-time operating parameters of the catheter system (100), including at least energy delivery characteristics and treatment site conditions, (ii) detect and identify operating parameters that require adjustment, (iii) automatically adjust operating parameters, and (iv) dynamically provide a summary of system status, treatment progress, and actionable alerts.

A device (30) for fracturing calcifications in heart valves includes a first heart valve treatment member (12) that extends from a first shaft (20) and which includes a scoring portion (16). A second heart valve treatment member (32) extends from a second shaft (36) and has a counterforce member (34). The second heart valve treatment member (32) and counterforce member (34) are coupled to the second shaft (36) with a brace (35) arranged to bear a force applied by scoring portion (16) to the counterforce member (34).

A catheter system for treating a treatment site includes an energy source, a balloon, an energy guide, and a pressure sensor. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The energy source generates energy that is received by the energy guide so that the energy guide can guide the light energy into the balloon interior. The pressure sensor senses a balloon pressure of the balloon fluid. A method for disrupting calcification at the treatment site includes the steps of generating energy with an energy source, positioning a balloon substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon having a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior, the balloon interior being configured to receive a balloon fluid, receiving energy from the energy source with an energy guide, guiding the energy from the energy source into the balloon interior with the energy guide; and sensing a balloon pressure of the balloon fluid with a pressure sensor.

A method for heart valve treatment includes providing a first heart valve treatment member movable along a first shaft portion, providing a second heart valve treatment member movable along a second shaft portion. The first and second heart valve treatment members are movable along the first and second shaft portions, respectively. The first heart valve treatment member is positioned on one side of a heart valve leaflet and the second heart valve treatment member is positioned on an opposite side of the heart valve leaflet. A portion of the heart valve leaflet is fracture by movement of the first heart valve treatment member with respect to the second heart valve treatment member.

Provided are a charging system, an electrical isolation system, a control system, and a shockwave device. The charging system is provided with at least two electrical isolation circuits, thereby improving the frequency of sending charging control signals and further improving the frequency of charging a shockwave generation apparatus. The electrical isolation system can greatly improve the dielectric strength of the electrical isolation system, reduce a leakage current on the surface of a shockwave generator, and ensure the safety performance of the shockwave generator. The shockwave device can effectively monitor the discharge energy of a shockwave emitter, thereby improving treatment safety, controllability, and working efficiency.

Described here are devices and methods for forming shock waves. The devices may comprise an axially extending elongate member. A first electrode pair may comprise a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode pair may be provided on the elongate member and positioned within a conductive fluid. A controller may be coupled to the first electrode pair. The controller may be configured to deliver a series of individual pulses to the first electrode pair, where each pulse creates a shock wave. The controller may cause current to flow through the electrode pair in a first direction for some of the pulses in the series and in a second direction opposite the first direction for the remaining pulses in the series.

A balloon aortic lithotripsy assembly for placement adjacent an aortic valve. The balloon aortic lithotripsy assembly includes multiple balloon chambers, a shell, and a shock wave generator. The balloon chambers are arranged to establish an open interior residing inboard of the balloon chambers. The shell is located around the balloon chambers. The shock wave generator can be situated on one or more of the balloon chambers, the shell, or both of the balloon chamber(s) and shell. In use, blood is free to travel through the open interior, and the shock wave generator can produce shock waves that are intended to impinge calcified tissues residing at the aortic valve.

A method for heart tissue treatment includes providing a first heart tissue treatment member movable along a first shaft portion, providing a second heart tissue treatment member movable along a second shaft portion. The first and second heart tissue treatment members are movable along the first and second shaft portions, respectively. The first heart tissue treatment member is positioned on one side of a heart tissue and the second heart tissue treatment member is positioned on an opposite side of the heart tissue. A portion of the heart tissue is fracture by movement of the first heart tissue treatment member with respect to the second heart tissue treatment member.

A computer-implemented method of providing plaque data (110) for a plaque deposit (120) in a vessel (130), is provided. The method includes: receiving (S110) computed tomography, CT, data (140) representing the vessel (130); generating (S120), from the CT data (140), a cross-sectional representation (150) of the vessel (130) at each of a plurality of positions (A-A, B-B) along the vessel; extracting (S130), from the cross-sectional representations, plaque data (110) comprising at least one measurement of the plaque deposit (120) at the plurality of positions along the vessel; and outputting (S140) a graphical representation of the plaque data (110).