A catheter system for treating a vascular lesion within or adjacent to a vessel wall within a body of a patient includes a single light source that generates light energy, a first light guide and a second light guide, and a multiplexer. The first light guide and the second light guide are each configured to selectively receive light energy from the light source. The multiplexer receives the light energy from the light source in the form of a source beam and selectively directs the light energy from the light source in the form of individual guide beams to each of the first light guide and the second light guide.

A neuromodulation catheter includes an elongate shaft and a neuromodulation element. The shaft includes two or more first cut shapes and two or more second cut shapes along a helical path extending around a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The first cut shapes are configured to at least partially resist deformation in response to longitudinal compression and tension on the shaft and torsion on the shaft in a first circumferential direction. The second cut shapes are configured to at least partially resist deformation in response to longitudinal compression on the shaft and torsion on the shaft in both first and second opposite circumferential directions.

Systems, devices, and methods for removing and/or treating obstructions in the vascular channels, such as blood clots, are provided. The systems may include a capture sock device including a shaft defining a lumen; and a mouth coupled to the shaft. The mouth includes a distal end portion defining a distal opening and is sized and configured to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration within a body channel. The mouth is formed of a mesh having porosity large enough to allow blood flow to pass through it but small enough to prevent an obstruction or a fragment of the obstruction from escaping from the mouth back into the body channel. In some embodiments, the mesh is folded to create at least two mesh layers at least at the distal opening to create a smooth atraumatic edge. In some embodiments, the system further includes a trap and/or retriever assembly.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve includes an energy source, a balloon, an energy guide, and an electrical analyzer assembly. The energy source generates energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The energy guide is configured to receive energy from the energy source and guide the energy into the balloon interior. The electrical analyzer assembly is configured to monitor a balloon condition during use of the catheter system. The electrical analyzer assembly can include a first electrode, a second electrode, and an impedance detector that is electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode. The impedance detector is configured to detect impedance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Systems and methods for creating an arteriovenous (AV) fistula comprise an elongate member, a distal member connected to the elongate member and movable relative to the elongate member, and a heating member disposed on at least one of the movable distal member and the elongate member. The distal member comprises structure for capturing tissue to be cut to create the fistula, and the heating member is adapted to cut through the tissue to create the fistula. The elongate member comprises an elongate outer tube. A shaft connects the distal member to the elongate member, and is extendable and retractable to extend and retract the distal member relative to the elongate member.

A catheter system for treating a vascular lesion within or adjacent to a vessel wall includes an energy source, a plurality of energy guides and a system controller. The energy source generates energy. The plurality of energy guides receive energy from the energy source. The system controller controls the energy source so that the energy is sequentially directed to each of the plurality of energy guides in an advancing wavefront. The system controller controls a firing rate of the energy source to each of the plurality of energy guides. The system controller can control a firing sequence to the plurality of energy guides so that the advancing wavefront is generated toward the vascular lesion from near the balloon proximal end and from near the balloon distal end. The system controller can control the energy source so that light energy from the energy source is alternatively directed to at least two of the plurality of energy guides at a different firing energy level from one another. The energy level can be based on pulse width, wavelength and/or amplitude of the energy pulse(s).

The present invention is directed toward a method for treating a vascular lesion within or adjacent to a vessel wall. The method includes the steps of generating energy with an energy source; receiving the energy with a plurality of energy guides; and controlling the energy source with a system controller of a catheter system so that the energy from the energy source is sequentially directed to each of the plurality of energy guides in a first firing sequence. The method can include the system controller controlling a firing rate of the energy source to each of the plurality of energy guides. The method can include the system controller controlling a firing sequence to the plurality of energy guides so that an advancing wavefront is generated toward the vascular lesion from near a balloon proximal end and/or from near a balloon distal end. The system controller can control a firing energy level, which can be dependent at least partially upon the pulse width, the wavelength and/or the amplitude of the energy pulses.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide, and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the vascular lesion. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives light energy from the light source at a guide proximal end and guides the light energy toward a guide distal end and into the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly is configured to optically analyze light energy emitted from the guide proximal end of the light guide.

A method for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes the steps of (i) generating light energy with a light source; (ii) positioning a balloon substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon having a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid; (iii) receiving the light energy from the light source with a light guide at a guide proximal end; (iv) guiding the light energy with the light guide in a first direction from the guide proximal end toward a guide distal end that is positioned within the balloon interior; and (v) optically analyzing with an optical analyzer assembly light energy from the light guide, wherein the light energy that is analyzed moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

A method of forming a sound lens having a coating of a first metal, that utilizes a lens-shaped piece of heat resistant material, having a convex major surface, and having a sonic impedance similar to that of human tissue, taken from a group consisting essentially of high temperature plastics and silicone. In the method, the convex major surface is sputter coated with a layer of the first metal, less than 10 microns thick.