A catheter system for pressure wave and inertial impulse generation for intravascular lesion disruption includes a balloon coupled to an elongate shaft, and a first and second light guide disposed along the elongate shaft. The first and second light guides each include a diverting feature in optical communication with at least one light window to direct light to exit each light guide toward a side surface portion thereof and toward the balloon. A method includes expanding the balloon from a collapsed configuration to a first expanded configuration, and activating a light source in optical communication with each light guide to provide sub-millisecond pulses of light to the diverting features, thereby inducing plasma formation in a balloon fluid, causing rapid bubble formation, and imparting pressure waves upon the treatment site.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates first light 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 light guide receives the first light energy and guides the first light energy in a first direction from a guide proximal end toward a guide distal end positioned within the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly optically analyzes a second light energy from the light guide that moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The optical analyzer assembly includes a safety shutdown system to inhibit the first light energy from being received by the guide proximal end of the light guide.

A method treating a root canal in a tooth by introducing into the pulp chamber of a tooth and pulsing a laser light into the fluid reservoir so as to disintegrate pulp within the root canal without generation of any significant heat in said liquid fluid so as to avoid elevating the temperature of any of the dentin, tooth, or other adjacent tissue more than about 5° C.

A catheter system includes a catheter having an elongate shaft, a balloon and a light guide. The balloon expands from a collapsed configuration to a first expanded configuration. The light guide is disposed along the elongate shaft and is in optical communication with a light source and a balloon fluid. A first portion of the light guide extends into a recess defined by the elongate shaft. A protection structure is disposed within the recess and is in contact with the first portion of the light guide. The light source provides pulses of light to the balloon fluid, thereby initiating plasma formation and rapid bubble formation within the balloon, thereby imparting pressure waves upon a vascular lesion. The protection structure can provide structural protection from the pressure waves to the first portion of the light guide.

A catheter system for treating site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve includes a light source, a first and second light guide, and an optical alignment system. The light source generates light energy. The first and second light guides receive the light energy from the light source and have respective guide proximal ends. A multiplexer directs the light energy toward the guide proximal ends of the first and second light guides. The optical alignment system determines an alignment of the light energy relative to at least one of the guide proximal ends and adjusts the positioning of the light energy relative to the at least one of the guide proximal ends based at least partially on the alignment of the light energy relative to the at least one of the guide proximal ends.

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (108A) or a heart valve. In various embodiments, the catheter system (100) includes a balloon (104) and an inflation tube (219, 319). The balloon (104) has a balloon interior (146). The inflation tube (219, 319) is configured to guide a flow of an inflation fluid (132) into the balloon interior (146). The inflation tube (219, 319) has an inflation lumen (319A). The inflation tube (219, 319) is movable between (i) an first configuration (319F) wherein the inflation lumen (319A) has a first cross-sectional area, and (ii) a second configuration (319S) wherein the inflation lumen (319A) has a second cross-sectional area that is less than the first cross-sectional area. In various alternative embodiments, the inflation tube (219, 319) can be biased toward the second configuration (319S) or the first configuration (319F). The inflation tube (219, 319) can include a tube wall (319W) that varies in thickness

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a blood vessel (108) includes a power source (124), a light guide (122) and a plasma target (242). In various embodiments, the light guide (122) receives power from the power source (124). The light guide (122) has a distal tip (244), and the light guide (122) emits light energy (243) in a direction away from the distal tip (244). The plasma target (242) is spaced apart from the distal tip (244) of the light guide (122) by a target gap distance (245). The plasma target (242) is configured to receive light energy (243) from the light guide (122) so that a plasma bubble (234) is generated at the plasma target (242). The power source (124) can be a laser and the light guide (122) can be an optical fiber. The catheter system (100) can also an inflatable balloon (104) that encircles the distal tip (244) of the light guide (122). The plasma target (242) can be positioned within the inflatable balloon (104). The plasma target (242) can have a target face (1672) that receives the light energy (243) from the light guide (122). The plasma target (242) can be formed from one or more of tungsten, tantalum, platinum, molybdenum, niobium, iridium, magnesium oxide, beryllium oxide, tungsten carbide, titanium nitride, titanium carbonitride and titanium carbide.

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.

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a fiber optic guidewire having a hypotube with a plurality of openings that provide variable stiffness and tracking characteristics between at least one proximal segment and one distal segment of the guidewire. In some embodiments, the guidewire further comprises a mandrel disposed within the hypotube, the mandrel cooperating with the optical fibers to permit the distal end of the hypotube to be shaped as desired by a user. Methods of manufacturing and using the guidewire are also disclosed.

A laser fiber for use in performing a medical laser treatment includes an optical fiber and a fiber tip. The optical fiber includes a terminating end surface at a distal end. The fiber tip is positioned at the distal end of the optical fiber and includes a transmissive portion and a spacer portion. Laser energy discharged from the terminating end surface of the optical fiber is transmitted through the transmissive portion. The spacer portion defines a distal terminating end of the fiber tip that is spaced a predetermined distance from the terminating end surface of the optical fiber. The predetermined distance is set for shock wave generation for calculus destruction at the distal terminating end of the fiber tip.