A system for breaking obstructions in body lumens includes a catheter including 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 one electrode within the balloon that forms a mechanical shock wave within the balloon. The system further includes a power source that provides electrical energy to the arc generator.

A system for breaking obstructions in body lumens includes a catheter including 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 one electrode within the balloon that forms a mechanical shock wave within the balloon. The system further includes a power source that provides electrical energy to the arc generator.

A catheter includes multiple shock wave points of origin for intracorporeal treatment of blood vessels.

Apparatus and method for ultrasound beam shaping are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic therapy system is configured to apply ultrasound to a target in a body. The system includes: an ultrasonic transducer configured to generate the ultrasound; and a customizable lens configured to focus the ultrasound onto a focal area of the target. The target is an object or a portion of the object in the body. The customizable lens is designed and produced based on at least one acquired image of the target.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve within a body of a patient includes an energy source, an inflatable balloon, an energy guide, and an acoustic sensor. The energy source generates energy. The inflatable balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The inflatable balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The energy guide receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy into the balloon interior. The acoustic sensor is positioned outside the body of the patient. The acoustic sensor senses acoustic sound waves generated in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior. The acoustic sensor generates a sensor signal based at least in part on the sensed acoustic sound waves. A system controller receives the sensor signal from the acoustic sensor and controls operation of the catheter system based at least in part on the sensor signal.

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 shock wave treatment device to treat skin and adjacent tissue with a combination of mechanical stimulation and acoustic pressure shock waves, such as methods for cosmetic applications, enhancing blood circulation, and wound treatment, includes a pressure shock wave applicator having a reflector and a mechanical stimulator of one or both of a vacuum device and roller device.

A method and system for secure ultrasound treatment of living tissues using an ultrasound probe comprising a reflective cavity in acoustic communication with living tissues, a transducer to emit an ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity and a transducer to acquire a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity. The method comprises the steps of a) emitting a first ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity that generates a backscattered ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity, b) acquiring a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity, c) determining whether an insonification can be safely performed by computing a similarity value between the backscattered signal and a predefined reference signal, and d) if an insonification can be safely performed, treating the living tissues with a second ultrasound wave emitted in the reflective cavity. The second ultrasound wave is focused a target point of the living tissues and generates a pressure point resulting in cavitation at this target point.

Acoustic pressure shock waves are applied to a drug delivery structure implanted in tissue of a human or animal body and including one or more pouches that contain at least one drug in fluid form that is releasable from the drug delivery structure when targeted by the acoustic pressure shock waves.

A system for breaking obstructions in body lumens includes a catheter including 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 one electrode within the balloon that forms a mechanical shock wave within the balloon. The system further includes a power source that provides electrical energy to the arc generator.