An ultrasound catheter with fluid delivery lumens, fluid evacuation lumens and a light source is used for the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhages. After the catheter is inserted into a blood clot in the brain, a lytic drug can be delivered to the blood clot via the fluid delivery lumens while applying ultrasonic energy to the treatment site. As the blood clot is dissolved, the liquefied blood clot can be removed by evacuation through the fluid evacuation lumens.

Transcatheter device for the treatment of calcified native heart valve leaflets comprising an outer hollow shaft (5), an inner hollow shaft (4) slidingly contained within said outer shaft (5) and an axle body (6) slidingly contained within said inner shaft (4); wherein the device comprises a commissure debridement system (7), located at the distal end of the axle body (6), that is made of at least two radially expandable arms (7) that are adapted to be inserted in and aligned with native commissures.

The invention provides a filter assembly including a string or wire such that a lasso type cincture is effected, said filter being openable and closeable while in deployed within a bodily vessel. A string lengthen or shorting adjustment mechanism, such as a ratchet or reel allows more length of string into the device or alternatively to shorten the length of available string in the system. The described invention, when used to ameliorate venous clots and most arterio-venous dialysis grafts, a filter-tipped aspirator is used downstream from the clot to capture and remove dislocated emboli. A method of using same is disclosed.

An ultrasonic catheter includes a catheter sheath, an ultrasonic transmission member, and a catheter body. The ultrasonic transmission member extends within a lumen of the catheter sheath. The catheter body is coupled to the catheter sheath. The catheter body has a fluid inlet port and an inner cavity in fluid communication therewith. A plurality of O-ring members is disposed around and contacts a proximal portion of the ultrasonic transmission member. An O-ring housing is located in the inner cavity of the catheter body, which is configured to contain the plurality of O-ring members. A perimetrical fluid channel is defined between an outer surface of the O-ring housing and the catheter body. The O-ring housing is configured such that a heat dissipating fluid flows into the perimetrical fluid channel and across the outer surface of the O-ring housing to dissipate heat from the plurality of O-ring members.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a housing, an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing, an end effector extending distally from the elongated shaft, and a transducer assembly disposed at least partially within the elongated shaft. The end effector includes a jaw and an ultrasonic blade. The jaw is configured to pivot relative to the ultrasonic blade from an open position to a clamping position for clamping tissue therebetween. The transducer assembly is distally-spaced from the housing and includes proximal and distal transducers interconnected by a connector. The ultrasonic blade is connected to the distal transducer such that ultrasonic energy produced by the proximal transducer is transmitted along the connector and the distal transducer to the ultrasonic blade and such that ultrasonic energy produced by the distal transducer is transmitted to the ultrasonic blade.

A method for applying ultrasound to activate a cavitation enhancing agent in the presence of a therapeutic compound and a microbial biofilm is provided. The ultrasound energy causes the cavitation enhancing agent to cavitate in the ultrasound field. The cavitation of the resultant bubble causes fluid streaming and shear forces at and near the biofilm, causing enhanced penetration of the therapeutic compound into the biofilm, and resulting in improved efficacy of the therapeutic compound against the biofilm. The method further includes cavitation enhancing agents which can be loaded with oxygen gas or combined with microbubbles which carry oxygen gas, which further potentiate antibiotic efficacy against the biofilm.

An elongate endovascular element for crossing through an obstruction in a blood vessel comprises: a proximal section; a distal tip section of smaller diameter than the proximal section; and a distally-tapering intermediate section extending between the proximal and distal tip sections; wherein the tapered intermediate section has a length that is substantially λ/2 or a multiple of λ/2 , where λ is a wavelength of a driving frequency that will produce longitudinal resonance in the element.

The present disclosure provides a catheter for treating lesions in a body lumen, such as calcified lesions and occlusions in vasculature. The catheter can include a dual-layer electrode assembly having a first conductive sheath and a second conductive sheath arranged circumferentially therearound. In some implementations, a first conductive sheath can be a flat coil. When a voltage is applied across the conductive sheaths, current flows across an arcing region, for example, from the distal side edge of the first sheath to the distal side edge of the second sheath to produce shock waves and/or cavitation bubbles. As a treatment continues, the sheaths slowly erode at the arcing region where current flows between the sheaths. To increase the lifespan of the electrode assembly, the distal side edges of the sheaths may be shaped to promote erosion of the sheaths in a predetermined or semi-controlled pattern.

Methods for removing blockages and preventing thromboembolic injuries, by advancing to a blockage a first tubular, endovascular device receiving irrigating fluid through a proximal opening, having a circumferential wall, lumen, at least one distal side hole oriented angularly to a distal opening; ejecting fluid from the side hole(s) to irrigate a blockage; introducing a second catheter for aspiration, comprising a circumferential wall having a proximal and distal opening, a flared, semi-permeable filter at the distal end for removal of emboli through the second lumen; advancing the second device to a blood vessel receiving blood from the blocked vessel, aspirating the blockage, axially rotating the first endovascular device having at least one half-loop to macerate an obstruction, capturing and removing emboli from the blockage through the second endovascular device which prevents emboli from causing further blockage of blood vessels. Variants of said method including a third rotatable device.

A method for conducting intrabody surgery by means of a surgical device having a cutting arrangement actuated by a driveshaft and rotationally supported by the guide wire. A receiving cannel extends through the cutting arrangement and movably receives the guidewire. A plurality of sensors is provided within the cutting arrangement to emit signals capable of changing parameters depending on the composition of the occlusion, so as to allow the control unit to generate signals controlling operation of the cutting arrangement. The method includes the steps of detecting parameters within the intrabody area by the sensors to controlling operation of the cutting arrangement with the power and control unit.