Non-cavitation shockwave balloon catheter system

1. An angioplasty catheter comprising:

an elongated carrier;

an angioplasty balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto, the balloon being arranged to receive a fluid therein that inflates the balloon wherein the balloon includes a central portion that extends longitudinally along the carrier, said central portion having a constant diameter; and

a shock wave generator located within the balloon and aligned with the central portion thereof for generating a plasma arc within the balloon that in turn forms a rapidly expanding and collapsing bubble within the balloon and wherein the expansion of the bubble creates a first shock wave and the collapse of the bubble creates a second shock wave and wherein the bubble is non-spherical and wherein the plasma arc is limited to be shorter than two microseconds whereby the energy in the first shock wave is greater than the energy in the second shock wave.

2. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the shock wave generator comprises an electrical arc generator.

3. The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the electrical arc generator is arranged to form a plasma arc having a duration of less than about one microsecond.

4. The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the electrical arc generator is rotatable.

5. The catheter of claim 4 , wherein the electrical arc generator comprises at least one conductive electrode.

6. The catheter of claim 5 , wherein the at least one conductive electrode is formed from stainless steel.

7. The catheter of claim 5 , wherein the at least one conductive electrode is formed from tungsten.

8. A method comprising:

providing a catheter including an elongated carrier, an angioplasty balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto, the balloon being arranged to receive a fluid therein that inflates the balloon wherein the balloon includes a central portion that extends longitudinally along the carrier, said central portion having a constant diameter;

inserting the catheter into a body lumen of a patient adjacent a blockage or restriction of the body lumen;

admitting fluid into the balloon; and

generating a plasma arc within the balloon aligned with the central portion of the balloon, said plasma arc is limited to being shorter than two microseconds, said plasma are forming a rapidly expanding and collapsing bubble within the balloon and wherein the expansion of the bubble creates a first shock wave and the collapse of the bubble creates a second shock wave and wherein the bubble is non-spherical whereby the energy in the first shock wave is greater than the energy in the second shock wave.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the duration of the plasma arc is less than one microsecond.

10. A catheter system comprising:

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 wherein the balloon includes a central portion that extends longitudinally along the carrier, said central portion having a constant diameter;

a shock wave generator within the balloon and aligned with the central portion thereof, said shock wave generator being responsive to applied voltage pulses to create a rapidly expanding and collapsing bubble within the balloon and wherein the expansion of the bubble creates a first shock wave and the collapse of the bubble creates a second shock wave and wherein the bubble is non-spherical; and

a source of voltage coupled to the shock wave generator that provides the shock wave generator with the applied voltage pulses, the applied voltage pulses including pulses formed by a capacitor discharge and wherein pulses are truncated so that an electric arc created in the balloon is shorter that two microseconds whereby the energy in the first shock wave is greater than the energy in the second shock wave.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the pulses formed by a truncated capacitor discharge have an initial voltage amplitude of between 100 and 3,000 volts.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the pulses are truncated so that the electric arc created in the balloon is less than one microsecond.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the balloon is an angioplasty balloon.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the shock wave generator comprises at least a pair of electrodes across which the voltage pulses are applied.

15. An angioplasty catheter comprising:

an elongated carrier;

an angioplasty balloon about the carrier in sealed relation thereto, the balloon being arranged to receive a fluid therein that inflates the balloon wherein the balloon includes a central portion that extends longitudinally along the carrier, said central portion having a constant diameter; and

an arc generator including a pair of electrodes positioned within a balloon and aligned with the central portion thereof and in non-touching relationship therewith, said arc generator generating a high voltage pulse sufficient to create a plasma arc between the electrodes, wherein the high voltage pulse is truncated to limit the plasma arc to be shorter than two microseconds and wherein the plasma arc forms a rapidly expanding and collapsing bubble within the balloon and wherein the expansion of the bubble creates a first shock wave and the collapse of the bubble creates a second shock wave and wherein the bubble is non-spherical whereby the energy in the first shock wave is greater than the energy in the second shock wave.

16. The catheter of claim 15 , the plasma arc is limited to be shorter than about one microsecond.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the high voltage pulse is formed from a capacitive discharge and wherein the discharge is truncated to control the duration of the plasma arc.