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.

The invention discloses systems and methods for generation of microfluidic jets providing a tool for very precise and localized delivery of e.g., medicaments. The proposed solution overcomes shortcomings related to miniaturization of a jet injection technology by implementing laser energy as a driving mechanism and optical fibers for its delivery. Solving the step of miniaturization can allow building new tools compatible with minimally invasive surgical techniques, high parallelization of jet injection units or design of new ergonomic injection devices.

A probe is configured with a flushing port and an evacuation port to establish a flow path to remove blood from a resected tissue. The probe comprises a balloon configured to expand and contact the resected tissue to compress filaments and improve access to the underlying blood vessels for coagulation with an energy source. An endoscope can be used to view the tissue, and the balloon may comprise a transparent material or a viewing port to allow imaging of the bleeding tissue through the balloon. The probe may have a light source to illuminate the tissue with a beam oriented at an oblique angle to the tissue surface, which can decrease interference from blood and may allow more localized coagulation of the blood vessel.

A laser delivery device may include a connector portion at a proximal end of the laser delivery device and an optical fiber connecting the connector portion to a distal end of the laser delivery device. The connector portion may include a capillary at least partially surrounding a proximal portion of the optical fiber, and the capillary may include dimples on at least a portion of a circumferential surface thereof.

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) includes an energy source (124), a balloon (104), an energy guide (122A), and a balloon integrity protection system (142). The energy source (124) generates pulses of energy. The balloon (104) is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site (106). The balloon (104) has a balloon wall (130) that defines a balloon interior (146). The balloon (104) is configured to retain a balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146). The energy guide (122A) is configured to receive the energy from the energy source (124) and guide the energy into the balloon interior (146) so that plasma is formed in the balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146). The balloon integrity protection system (142) is operatively coupled to the balloon (104). The balloon integrity protection system (142) is configured to inhibit temperature-induced rupture of the balloon (104) due to the plasma formed in the balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146) during use of the catheter system (100).

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (108A) or a heart valve includes a light source (124), a first light guide (122A), a second light guide (122A), and an optical alignment system (257). The light source (124) generates light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B). The first light guide (122A) receives the light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B) from the light source (124). The first light guide (122A) has a guide proximal end (122P). The second light guide (122A) receives the light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B) from the light source (124). The second light guide (122A) has a guide proximal end (122P). A multiplexer (223) directs the light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B) toward the guide proximal end (122P) of the first light guide (122A) and the guide proximal end (122P) of the second light guide (122A). The optical alignment system (257) determines an alignment of the light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B) relative to at least one of the guide proximal ends (122P). The optical alignment system (257) adjusts the positioning of the light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B) relative to the at least one of the guide proximal ends (122P) based at least partially on the alignment of the light energy (224A, 224B, 324A, 324B, 424B) relative to the at least one of the guide proximal ends (122P).

The present disclosure includes catheter systems and methods for treatment of occlusions, including coronary artery chronic total occlusions. The catheter system comprises a catheter coupled to a control system with a distal end inserted into a patient and proximal to a location within a blood vessel with an occlusion. The catheter comprises a flexible outer sheath surrounding a housing with a plurality of lumens to perform various functions to penetrate occlusions.

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 treatment site. The protection structure can provide structural protection from the pressure waves to the first portion of the light guide.

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.

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.