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 (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (108A) of a blood vessel (108) within a body (107) of a patient (109) includes an energy source (124), a catheter fluid (132), and an emitter assembly (129). The energy source (124) generates energy. The emitter assembly (129) includes (i) at least a portion of an energy guide (122A) having a guide distal end (122D) that is selectively positioned near the treatment site (106), (ii) a plasma generator (133), and (iii) an emitter housing (260) that is secured to each of the energy guide (122A) and the plasma generator (133) to maintain a relative position between the guide distal end (122D) of the energy guide (122A) and the plasma generator (133). The energy guide (122A) is configured to receive energy from the energy source (124) and direct the energy toward the plasma generator (133) to generate a plasma bubble (134) in the catheter fluid (132). The plasma generator (133) directs energy from the plasma bubble (134) toward the treatment site (106).

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.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides techniques for inducing collagen cross-linking in human tissue, such as cartilage, by inducing ionization of the water contained in the tissue to produce free radicals that induce chemical cross-linking in the human tissue. In an embodiment, a femtosecond laser operates at sufficiently low laser pulse energy to avoid optical breakdown of the tissue being treated. In an embodiment, the femtosecond laser operates in the infrared frequency range.

A catheter system for treating a vascular lesion within or adjacent to the vessel wall or heart valve includes a balloon and a fluid circulator. The balloon includes a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior. The balloon is configured to retain a catheter fluid within the balloon interior. The fluid circulator is coupled in fluid communication to the balloon interior. The fluid circulator is configured to selectively circulate the catheter fluid out of and back into the balloon interior during use of the catheter system. The fluid circulator is configured so that a temperature of the catheter fluid within the balloon interior is maintained within a predetermined temperature range. Additionally, the fluid circulator can be configured so that a pressure of the catheter fluid within the balloon interior is maintained within a predetermined pressure range. Further, a filtration system can be coupled in fluid communication with the fluid circulator to remove microparticles from the catheter fluid.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve within a body of a patient includes an energy source, an inflatable balloon, an energy guide, and an acoustic sensor. The energy source generates energy. The inflatable balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The inflatable balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The energy guide receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy into the balloon interior. The acoustic sensor is positioned outside the body of the patient. The acoustic sensor senses acoustic sound waves generated in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior. The acoustic sensor generates a sensor signal based at least in part on the sensed acoustic sound waves. A system controller receives the sensor signal from the acoustic sensor and controls operation of the catheter system based at least in part on the sensor signal.

A catheter system includes a power source, a controller, and a light guide. The power source generates a plurality of energy pulses. The controller controls the power source so that the plurality of energy pulses cooperate to produce a composite energy pulse having a composite pulse shape. The light guide receives the composite energy pulse. The light guide emits light energy in a direction away from the light guide to generate a plasma pulse away from the light guide. The power source can be a laser and the light guide can be an optical fiber. Each of the energy pulses has a pulse width, and the energy pulses are added to one another so that the composite energy pulse has a pulse width that is longer than the pulse width of any one of the energy pulses. At least two of the energy pulses can have the same wavelength as or a different wavelength from one another.

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 method of treating a mobile target tissue with a laser beam includes: providing a laser device for generating a laser beam and providing an optical fiber having a delivery end for guiding the laser beam to the target tissue; a controller causes the laser device to generate one or more laser pulses substantially along the same longitudinal axis. The controller causes the laser device to provide one or more laser pulses. The one or more pulses are selected to allow a vapor bubble formed by the one or more pulse to expand an amount sufficient to displace a substantial portion of the liquid medium from the space between the delivery end of the fiber and the target tissue. The one or more pulses are delivered to the target tissue through the vapor bubble after the vapor bubble has reached its maximum extent and has begun to collapse to reduce retropulsion of the mobile target tissue.