Asymmetrical balloon for intravascular lithotripsy device and method

1. A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall within a body of a patient, the catheter system comprising:

an energy source that generates energy;

a balloon including a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior, the balloon being configured to retain a balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the balloon being selectively inflatable with the balloon fluid to expand to an inflated state wherein the balloon wall is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon having a balloon central axis that extends through a geometric center of the balloon when the balloon is in the inflated state; and

a plurality of energy guides that selectively receive energy from the energy source, each of the plurality of energy guides guiding the energy from the energy source into the balloon interior, each of the plurality of energy guides including a guide distal end;

wherein at least a portion of the guide distal end of a first energy guide of the plurality of energy guides is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state; and

wherein each of the plurality of energy guides receives the energy from the energy source and guides the energy from the energy source into the balloon interior to generate plasma in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the plasma generation causing rapid bubble formation and imparting pressure waves upon the balloon wall adjacent to the treatment site.

2. A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall within a body of a patient, the catheter system comprising:

an energy source that generates energy;

an asymmetrical balloon including a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior, the balloon being configured to retain a balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the balloon being selectively inflatable with the balloon fluid to expand to an inflated state wherein the balloon wall is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon further including (i) a balloon proximal end, (ii) an opposed balloon distal end, (iii) a balloon end axis that extends through the balloon proximal end and the balloon distal end when the balloon is in the inflated state, and (iv) a balloon central axis that extends through a geometric center of the balloon when the balloon is in the inflated state, the balloon central axis being spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the balloon end axis, the balloon having a balloon radius, the balloon central axis being spaced apart from the balloon end axis by an axis spacing distance of at least approximately five percent of the balloon radius; and

an energy guide that selectively receives energy from the energy source, the energy guide guiding the energy from the energy source into the balloon interior, wherein the energy guide includes a guide distal end;

wherein no portion of the guide distal end that is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state; and

wherein the energy guide receives the energy from the energy source and guides the energy from the energy source into the balloon interior to generate plasma in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior; and wherein the plasma generation causes rapid bubble formation and imparts pressure waves upon the balloon wall adjacent to the treatment site.

3. The catheter system of claim 2 further comprising a guidewire lumen that extends at least between the balloon proximal end and the balloon distal end, the guidewire lumen being positioned offset from the balloon central axis.

4. The catheter system of claim 3 wherein the guidewire lumen is positioned substantially along the balloon end axis.

5. The catheter system of claim 2 further comprising a catheter shaft, wherein the balloon is coupled to the catheter shaft.

6. The catheter system of claim 5 wherein the catheter shaft includes a longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis is substantially coaxial with the balloon end axis.

7. The catheter system of claim 2 wherein the energy guide includes an optical fiber.

8. The catheter system of claim 2 wherein the energy source is a laser source that provides pulses of laser energy.

9. A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall within a body of a patient, the catheter system comprising:

an energy source that generates energy;

an asymmetrical balloon including a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior, the balloon being configured to retain a balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the balloon being selectively inflatable with the balloon fluid to expand to an inflated state wherein the balloon wall is configured to be positioned substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon further including (i) a balloon proximal end, (ii) an opposed balloon distal end, (iii) a balloon end axis that extends through the balloon proximal end and the balloon distal end when the balloon is in the inflated state, and (iv) a balloon central axis that extends through a geometric center of the balloon when the balloon is in the inflated state, the balloon central axis being spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the balloon end axis;

a guidewire lumen that extends between the balloon proximal end and the balloon distal end, the guidewire lumen being positioned substantially along the balloon end axis and offset from the balloon central axis;

a catheter shaft including a longitudinal axis that is substantially coaxial with the balloon end axis, the balloon being coupled to the catheter shaft;

a first energy guide that selectively receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy into the balloon interior to generate plasma in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the plasma generation causing rapid bubble formation and imparting pressure waves upon the balloon wall adjacent to the treatment site, the first energy guide including a first guide distal end; and

a second energy guide that selectively receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy into the balloon interior to generate plasma in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the plasma generation causing rapid bubble formation and imparting pressure waves upon the balloon wall adjacent to the treatment site, the second energy guide including a second guide distal end;

wherein at least a portion of the first guide distal end of the first energy guide is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state; and

wherein no portion of the second guide distal end of the second energy guide is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state.

10. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of energy guides includes an electrode pair including spaced apart electrodes that extend into the balloon interior; and wherein pulses of high voltage from the energy source are applied to the electrodes and form an electrical arc across the electrodes.

11. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the balloon further includes a balloon proximal end, an opposed balloon distal end, and a balloon end axis that extends through the balloon proximal end and the balloon distal end when the balloon is in the inflated state, the balloon end axis being offset from the balloon central axis.

12. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the balloon is asymmetrical in the inflated state.

13. The catheter system of claim 9 wherein each of the first energy guide and the second energy guide includes an optical fiber and the energy source is a laser source that provides pulses of laser energy.

14. The catheter system of claim 9 wherein each of the first energy guide and the second energy guide includes an electrode pair including spaced apart electrodes that extend into the balloon interior; and wherein pulses of high voltage from the energy source are applied to the electrodes and form an electrical arc across the electrodes.

15. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein no portion of the guide distal end of a second energy guide of the plurality of energy guides is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state.

16. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of energy guides includes an optical fiber; and wherein the energy source is a laser source that provides pulses of laser energy.

17. The catheter system of claim 11 further comprising a guidewire lumen that extends at least between the balloon proximal end and the balloon distal end, the guidewire lumen being positioned offset from the balloon central axis and substantially along the balloon end axis.

18. The catheter system of claim 11 further comprising a catheter shaft including a longitudinal axis; wherein the balloon is coupled to the catheter shaft; and wherein the longitudinal axis is substantially coaxial with the balloon end axis.

19. The catheter system of claim 2 further comprising a second energy guide that selectively receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy into the balloon interior to generate plasma in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior, the plasma generation causing rapid bubble formation and imparting pressure waves upon the balloon wall adjacent to the treatment site, the second energy guide including a second guide distal end; wherein at least a portion of the second guide distal end of the second energy guide is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state.

20. The catheter system of claim 2 wherein the energy guide includes an electrode pair including spaced apart electrodes that extend into the balloon interior; and wherein pulses of high voltage from the energy source are applied to the electrodes and form an electrical arc across the electrodes.