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 comprise an electronic emitter including 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 disclosure relates generally to thrombectomy devices. An exemplary catheter comprises: a central tube; an emitter assembly mounted over the central tube, wherein the emitter assembly comprises: a conductive sheath; a first insulated wire having a first curved distal portion; and a second insulated wire having a second curved distal portion, wherein the first curved distal portion and the second curved distal portion are positioned within the conductive sheath, and wherein the emitter assembly is configured to generate a plurality of cavitation bubbles or shockwaves when a pulsed voltage is applied to the emitter assembly; and an outer tube housing the emitter assembly, wherein the outer tube is configured to receive a conductive fluid, wherein the outer tube comprises a distal opening for releasing the plurality of cavitation bubbles or shockwaves and the conductive fluid in a forward direction to treat thrombus at a treatment site.

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.

Described herein are low-profile electrodes for use with an angioplasty shockwave catheter. A low-profile electrode assembly may have an inner electrode, an insulating layer disposed over the inner electrode such that an opening in the insulating layer is aligned with the inner electrode, and an outer electrode sheath disposed over the insulating layer such that an opening in the outer electrode sheath is coaxially aligned with the opening in the insulating layer. This layered configuration allows for the generation of shockwaves that propagate outward from the side of the catheter. In some variations, the electrode assembly has a second inner electrode, and the insulating layer and outer electrode may each have a second opening that are coaxially aligned with the second inner electrode. An angioplasty shockwave catheter may have a plurality of such low-profile electrode assemblies along its length to break up calcified plaques along a length of a vessel.

The present invention concerns a device for pulsed electric discharge in a liquid comprising a control module configured to control a voltage generator such that the voltage generator applies a predetermined heating voltage setpoint between electrodes during a heating period until a pulsed electric discharge is obtained between the electrodes, in order to measure the breakdown voltage during the pulsed electric discharge, in order to estimate the quantity of energy supplied to the liquid during the heating period, referred to as the “quantity of heating energy”, from the predetermined heating voltage setpoint and the measured breakdown voltage, and in order to determine a new heating voltage setpoint to apply between the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes at the next pulsed electric discharge based on the estimated quantity of heating energy and a predefined breakdown voltage setpoint.

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.

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (208A) or a heart valve within a body (107) of a patient (109) includes an energy source (124), a balloon (104), an energy guide (122A), and a tissue identification system (142). The energy source (124) generates energy. The balloon (104) is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site (106). The balloon (104) includes a balloon wall (130) that defines a balloon interior (146). The balloon (104) can be configured to retain a balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146). The energy guide (122A) is configured to receive energy from the energy source (124) and guide the energy into the balloon interior (146) so that plasma bubbles (134) are formed in the balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146). The tissue identification system (142) can be configured to acoustically analyze tissue within the treatment site (106).

A valvuloplasty system comprises a balloon adapted to be placed adjacent leaflets of a valve. The balloon is inflatable with a liquid. The system further includes a shock wave generator within the balloon that produces shock waves. The shock waves propagate through the liquid and impinge upon the valve to decalcify and open the valve.

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.

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.