The invention provides a system for treating an occlusion within a body lumen. The system may comprise an insulated outer sheath; an elongated conductive tube, wherein the insulated outer sheath is circumferentially mounted around the elongated conductive tube; and an insulated wire having a helically coiled portion at a distal end of the insulated wire. The coiled portion includes an exposed distal tip, and a distal portion of the elongated conductive tube is circumferentially mounted around the distal coiled portion of the insulated wire. When a voltage is applied across the insulated wire and the elongated conductive tube, a current is configured to flow from the exposed distal tip of the insulated wire to the elongated conductive tube to generate a plurality of cavitation bubbles. In an alternate embodiment, an elongated central electrode is used in place of the conductive tube.

A medical device may include an elongated body, a balloon positioned at a distal portion of the elongated body, and one or more pressure-wave emitters positioned along a central longitudinal axis of the elongated body within the balloon. The one or more pressure-wave emitters may be configured to propagate pressure waves radially outward through the fluid to fragment a calcified lesion at the target treatment site. The at least one of the one or more pressure-wave emitters may include an electronic emitter comprising a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode may be arranged to define a spark gap between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the second electrode may comprise a portion of a hypotube.

The present invention provides a catheter for treating an occlusion in a body lumen. The catheter includes an elongated tube, a first electrode pair and a second electrode pair each configured to generate shock waves. The catheter also includes a flexible polymer enclosure that is fillable with conductive fluid and wrapped circumferentially around at least a portion of the elongated tube such that it surrounds the first and second electrode pairs. The first and second electrode pairs can be arranged relative to one another to promote interference between shock waves generated at the electrode pairs when voltage is delivered across the electrodes of each pair. Electrode pairs can be longitudinally adjacent (spaced a relatively small longitudinal distance apart), longitudinally aligned (at the same longitudinal location), circumferentially offset (offset about the circumference of the catheter), circumferentially aligned (at the same circumferential location), or any combination of any of the above.

A catheter that fits within a blood vessel wall includes electrodes aligned along a longitudinal axis of the catheter that produce unfocused shock waves that propagate radially toward the blood vessel wall for treatment.

A multi-modulus probe design and assembly are disclosed. In one implementation, the system may include a stiffening element extending along at least a portion of a length of a lumen containing electrical wires for electrodes used in an Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy (EHL) probe. The stiffening element may be contained within the lumen of the probe or may extend along an outside of the probe. The stiffening element may be an assembly of wires of different modulus of elasticity that are joined together with a non-conductive sheath such that a greater stiffness is provided at a proximal end, and a lesser stiffness is provided at a distal end near a tip of the probe.

The invention provides a device for generating shock waves. The device may comprise an elongated tube and a conductive sheath circumferentially mounted around the elongated tube. The device may further comprise first and second insulated wires extending along the outer surface of the elongated tube. A portion of the first insulated wire is removed to form a first inner electrode, which is adjacent to a first side edge of the conductive sheath. A portion of the second insulated wire is removed to form a second inner electrode, which is adjacent to a second side edge of the conductive sheath. Responsive to a high voltage being applied across the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode, a first shock wave is created across the first side edge and the first inner electrode, and a second shock wave is created across the second side edge and the second inner electrode.

The present invention provides a catheter for treating occlusions in body lumens. The catheter includes a catheter body that is fillable with fluid. An impactor is connected to the distal end of the catheter body and has a proximal end inside the catheter body and a distal end outside the catheter body. The catheter also includes a shock wave source configured to generate a shock wave, and a deflector coupled to the proximal end of the impactor in between the shock wave source and distal end of the catheter body. When the shock wave source generates a shock wave, the shock wave impinges on the deflector causing the deflector to advance in a forward direction in conjunction with the impactor such that the distal end of the impactor delivers a mechanical force to the occlusion to restore flow to the body lumen.

This invention related to manufactured microbubbles, as well as methods of using manufactured microbubbles, for example, in medicinal applications. The invention pertains to the physical structure and materials of the microbubbles, as well as to methods for manufacturing microbubbles, methods for targeting microbubbles for specific medicinal applications, and methods for delivering microbubbles in medical treatment.

Described herein is a shock wave device for the treatment of vascular occlusions. The shock wave device includes an outer covering and an inner member inner connected at a distal end of the device. First and second conductive wires extend along the length of the device within the volume between the outer covering and the inner member. A conductive emitter band circumscribes the ends of the first and second wires to form a first spark gap between the end of the first wire and the emitter band and a second spark gap between the end of the second wire and the emitter band. When the volume is filled with conductive fluid and a high voltage pulse is applied across the first and second wires, first and second shock waves can be initiated from the first and second spark gaps.

The invention provides a device for generating shock waves. The device may comprise an elongated tube and a conductive sheath circumferentially mounted around the elongated tube. The device may further comprise first and second insulated wires extending along the outer surface of the elongated tube. A portion of the first insulated wire is removed to form a first inner electrode, which is adjacent to a first side edge of the conductive sheath. A portion of the second insulated wire is removed to form a second inner electrode, which is adjacent to a second side edge of the conductive sheath. Responsive to a high voltage being applied across the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode, a first shock wave is created across the first side edge and the first inner electrode, and a second shock wave is created across the second side edge and the second inner electrode.