A device for introduction into a body vessel includes a shaft, a balloon positioned at the distal end of the shaft, a guidewire disposed longitudinally within the shaft to receive a guidewire during use, a balloon disposed at the distal end of the shaft, and longitudinal scoring wires to score a vascular lesion attached to the distal end of the shaft, disposed over the balloon and disposed within the shaft. The proximal ends are welded or otherwise affixed to a spring mounted in the handle. The balloon expands when fluid is delivered to the balloon through the inflation lumen. This expansion pushes the scoring wires against the vascular lesion.

A dynamic balloon angioplasty system for applying a dynamic pressure to fracture hardened materials embedded within an elastic conduit. The system having a pressure source system outputting at least a first predetermined pressure from a pressure source outlet, and an angioplasty unit fluidly coupled to the pressure source outlet receiving at least the first predetermined pressure. The angioplasty unit having an angioplasty inflation device, an angioplasty balloon connector, and an oscillating mechanism selectively actuated to output a plurality of pressure pulses to the angioplasty balloon via a fluid communication path. A control system is configured to determine an optimal hydraulic pressure oscillation frequency and amplitude for a given procedure and output a control signal to the oscillating mechanism, and monitor a pressure signal to detect fracture of the hardened material within the elastic conduit or system failure or leakage.

Methods of removing calcium and other deposits from peripheral and other vessel walls using ultrasound waves. In an exemplary method of treating a deposit in a patient's peripheral artery, the method comprises the steps of generating an ultrasound wave outside of the patient and directing the ultrasound wave toward a peripheral artery of the patient.

An ultrasound catheter has an elongate flexible catheter body having a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, and an ultrasound transmission member extending longitudinally through the lumen of the catheter body. The ultrasound transmission member has a proximal end that is coupled to a separate ultrasound generating device, and a distal tip that is attached to the distal end of the ultrasound transmission member and which is located at the distal end of the catheter body. The distal tip has at least one dimensional step. The ultrasound transmission member is directly attached to the catheter body and/or to a guidewire tube, either directly or via an attachment device. The catheter has an additional radiopaque marker positioned on the distal end of the catheter.

A device for introduction into a body vessel includes a shaft, a balloon positioned at the distal end of the shaft, a guidewire disposed longitudinally within the shaft to receive a guidewire during use, a balloon disposed at the distal end of the shaft, and longitudinal scoring wires to score a vascular lesion attached to the distal end of the shaft. The scoring wires are disposed over the balloon and disposed within the shaft. The proximal ends are welded or otherwise affixed to a spring mounted in the handle. The balloon expands when fluid is delivered to the balloon through the inflation lumen. This expansion pushes the scoring wires against the vascular lesion. The scoring wires attach to a source of vibrations. The scoring wires are made of a helical coil.

An electrosurgical working end that utilizes supercavitation phenomenon for controlled application of electrosurgical energy to tissue. In one preferred method of the invention, the system utilizes an electrosurgical surface that is rotatable in a liquid substance at very high surface velocities capable of localized lowering of the pressure of the substance below its saturated vapor pressure to cause supercavitation, and contemporaneously applying electrical energy from the electrosurgical surface across the cavity to ablate adjacent tissue. The system creates supercavitation with surface velocities of greater than about 70 m/sec in a liquid substance by means of high speed rotation and optionally ultrasound actuation.

An intravascular catheter for nerve activity ablation and/or sensing includes one or more needles advanced through supported guide tubes (needle guiding elements) which expand to contact the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the needles to be advanced though the vessel wall into the extra-luminal tissue including the media, adventitia and periadvential space. The catheter also includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. Electrodes at the distal ends of the guide tubes allow sensing of nerve activity before and after attempted renal denervation. In a combination embodiment ablative energy or fluid is delivered to ablate nerves outside of the media.

An ultrasonic thrombus removing system, comprising a front sheath tube (1) and a rear sheath tube (5) that are relatively independent and that may be inserted into a blood vessel (2); a rear end outer portion of the front sheath tube (1) is mounted with a front blocking balloon (105), and a front end outer portion of the rear sheath tube (5) is mounted with a rear blocking balloon (504); the front blocking balloon (105) and the rear blocking balloon (504) are located on two sides of a thrombus (3) in the blood vessel (2) respectively, a breaking cavity (4) being formed between the two blocking balloons; the front blocking balloon (105) and the rear blocking balloon (504) expand or contract in the blood vessel (2) by means of the squeezing or loosening of an external force so as to block or open front and rear sides of the thrombus (3); an inner portion of the rear sheath tube (5) is provided with a core tube (502) that co-axially penetrates therethrough, a front end of the core tube (502) being provided with a breaker (501) that is used for breaking the thrombus (3), while a rear end of the rear sheath tube (5) is provided with a discharge tube (511) that communicates with the core tube (502).

A catheter includes multiple shock wave generators electrically controlled to produce shock waves simultaneously, sequentially or in pre-determined patterns for intracorporeal treatment of blood vessels.

A lithotripter is provided for fragmenting a stone inside a patient's body. In one form, the lithotripter includes a motor having at least two modes of operation and is configured to produce first and second waveforms. A wave guide shaft is configured to transmit the first and second waveforms to the stone. In one form, at least one of the first and second waveforms is provided to the stone at a frequency that is about equal to a natural frequency of the stone. In a variation, the lithotripter may include an ultrasonic driver configured to produce an ultrasonic frequency waveform and a sonic driver configured to produce a sonic frequency waveform. The sonic driver is mechanically coupled to the ultrasonic driver. The ultrasonic driver and the sonic driver may be disposed within a driver housing. In another variation, the lithotripter may include a brushless DC motor.