A guidewire includes an elongated member and a shaft extending distally from the elongated member, wherein the elongated member and shaft are configured to be navigated through vasculature of a patient. The guidewire further includes a first conductor extending around the shaft to define an outer perimeter of the guidewire and a first electrode adjacent the shaft. The first conductor is configured electrically connect the first electrode to an energy source. The guidewire further includes a second electrode and a second conductor configured to electrically couple the second electrode to the energy source. The first and second electrodes may be configured to deliver an electrical signal to fluid contacting the first and second electrodes to cause the fluid to undergo cavitation to generate a pressure pulse wave within the fluid.

Systems for imparting pulsatile energy to cardiovascular tissue are provided. Aspects of the systems include a console assembly comprising a potential source, a manifold assembly operably connected to an output of the console assembly, wherein the manifold assembly comprises an oscillator configured to generate pulse energy from energy transmitted from the potential source and a catheter assembly operably connected to an output of the manifold assembly. Catheter assemblies of the present invention include a connector operably connecting the catheter assembly to the manifold assembly and configured to transduce a first pulse energy generated by the manifold assembly to a second pulse energy, a catheter comprising a fluidic passage operably connected to the output of the connector and configured to transmit the second pulse energy and a heart-tissue-conforming element configured to receive the second pulse energy transmitted through the fluidic passage of the catheter to apply pulsatile energy to cardiovascular tissue. Also provided are methods for imparting pulsatile energy to cardiovascular tissue, e.g., deploying a system so that a heart-tissue-conforming element of the system is adjacent to cardiovascular tissue and engaging the system in a manner that the heart-tissue-conforming element imparts energy to the cardiovascular tissue. In addition, standalone catheter assemblies as well as kits comprising components of the systems described herein are provided. The systems, assemblies, methods and kits find use in a variety of different applications, including balloon angioplasty applications or other catheter-based therapies or treatments.

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 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.

A system 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 first and second electrodes within the balloon arranged to carry a voltage there-across including an initial high electrical voltage at an initial low current. The initial high electrical voltage causes an electrical arc to form across the first and second electrodes within the balloon. The electrical arc causes a gas bubble within the liquid, a high current to flow through the first and second electrodes, a decrease in the initial high electrical voltage, and a mechanical shock wave within the balloon. The system further includes a power source that provides the first and second electrodes with a drive voltage that creates the initial high electrical voltage at the initial current and that terminates the drive voltage in response to the decrease in the initial high electrical voltage.

A shockwave device for treating heart valve or vascular calcification, includes a guiding tip and a plurality of balloons. At least two balloons of the plurality of balloons are connected to the guiding tip. At least one balloon of the plurality of balloons includes: at least one balloon body; at least one through hole through which liquid for transmitting shockwaves is filled into the balloon; and at least one shockwave generator for receiving electrical voltage/electrical current pulses to generate shockwaves. The shockwave generator includes at least one electrode cable and at least one electrode probe. The shockwave device could inhibit attenuation of shockwaves during transmitting. A method for treating heart valve or vascular calcification of an animal has been provided.

A drug delivery catheter includes a first axially extending elongate member, a second axially extending elongate member, and a main chamber wall. The inner surface of the main chamber wall defines a main chamber. The distal end of the main chamber wall is joined to the distal end of the second axially extending elongate member and the proximal end of the main chamber wall is joined to the distal end of the first axially extending elongate member such that the main chamber is disposed over a distal portion of at least the second elongate member. One or more shockwave-generating elements are disposed within the main chamber. The main chamber is in fluid communication with the lumen of the first elongate member. The drug delivery catheter is configured to deliver an active agent to a target site through the lumen of the first elongate member.

Devices, assemblies, systems, and techniques described herein may deliver a pressure wave to structures of a heart, such an aortic valve. For example, a medical assembly may include an expandable member configured to expand from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, the expandable member configured to at least partially define a channel through the expandable member in the expanded configuration and one or more electrodes carried by the expandable member. The one or more electrodes may be configured to transmit an electrical signal through a fluid to cause the fluid to undergo cavitation that generates a pressure wave within the fluid.

Disclosed herein shock wave catheters comprising one or more shock wave electrodes for cracking calcifications located within blood vessels. In some variations, a shock wave catheter has first and second shock wave electrodes each circumferentially disposed over the outer surface of the catheter. In certain variations, the first electrode has a recess and the second electrode has a protrusion that is received by the recess and a spark gap is located along the separation between the recess and the protrusion. The second electrode can also have a recess that receives a protrusion from a third shock wave electrode, where the separation between the second and third electrodes along the separation between the recess and the protrusion forms a second spark gap. A shock wave can be initiated across these spark gaps when a voltage is applied over the electrodes.

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.