Granted Patent B2

US 12,702,479 · App. 17/190,921 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Inventors: Daniel Massimini (Brooklyn Park, MN); Roger McGowan (Otsego, MN); Haiping Shao (Plymouth, MN); Christopher A. Cook (Laguna Niguel, CA)

Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.

A61B18/26A61B2017/00159A61B2017/00185A61B2018/0022A61B2018/00369A61B2018/00404A61B2018/00702A61B2018/00761A61B2018/266

Abstract

Claims (35)

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

a power source that generates a plurality of energy pulses;

a controller that controls the power source so that the plurality of energy pulses cooperate to produce a composite energy pulse having a composite pulse shape;

a light guide that receives the composite energy pulse, the light guide emitting light energy in a direction away from the light guide to generate a plasma pulse away from the light guide; and

an inflatable balloon that encircles a distal end of the light guide, the composite energy pulse generating a plurality of plasma pulses away from the distal end of the light guide,

wherein the catheter system is configured to generate a pre-bubble at the distal end of the light guide so that the plasma pulse is generated away from the light guide.

2 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the power source is a laser.

3 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the light guide is an optical fiber.

4 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of energy pulses are sub-millisecond pulses.

5 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the composite energy pulse is configured to generate the pre-bubble at the distal end of the light guide.

6 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the pre-bubble is generated by electrolysis.

7 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the pre-bubble is generated by using a resistive heater.

8 . The catheter system of claim 1 further comprising a nano surface that is positioned near the distal end of the light guide.

9 . The catheter system of claim 1 further comprising a nano surface that is positioned on the distal end of the light guide.

10 . The catheter system of claim 9 wherein the nano surface is textured.

11 . The catheter system of claim 1 further comprising a hydrophobic material that is positioned on the distal end of the light guide.

12 . The catheter system of claim 1 further comprising a hydrophobic material that is positioned near the distal end of the light guide.

13 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein 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.

14 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the composite energy pulse has a pulse amplitude that increases over time.

15 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the composite energy pulse has a pulse amplitude that decreases over time.

16 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of plasma pulses are generated at different times from one another.

17 . The catheter system of claim 1 wherein the controller controls a timing of the composite energy pulse relative to a start of the generation of the pre-bubble.

18 . The catheter system of claim 17 wherein the composite energy pulse is generated greater than approximately 1 ns and less than approximately 100 ms after the start of the generation of the pre-bubble.

19 . A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or heart valve, the catheter system comprising:

a power source that generates a plurality of energy pulses, the power source including a laser;

a controller that controls the power source so that the plurality of energy pulses overlap and combine to produce a composite energy pulse having a composite pulse shape;

a light guide that receives the composite energy pulse, the light guide emitting light energy in a direction away from the light guide to generate a plasma pulse away from the light guide, the light guide including an optical fiber; and

an inflatable balloon that encircles a distal end of the light guide,

wherein the catheter system is configured to generate a pre-bubble at the distal end of the light guide so that the plasma pulse is generated away from the light guide.

20 . A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or heart valve, the catheter system comprising:

a power source that generates a plurality of energy pulses;

a controller that controls the power source so that the plurality of energy pulses overlap and combine to produce a composite energy pulse having a composite pulse shape;

a light guide that receives the composite energy pulse, the light guide emitting light energy in a direction away from the light guide to generate a plasma pulse away from the light guide;

an inflatable balloon that encircles a distal end of the light guide; and a nano surface that is positioned near the distal end of the light guide,

wherein the catheter system is configured to generate a pre-bubble at the distal end of the light guide so that the plasma pulse is generated away from the light guide.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)