Steerable ultrasound catheter

摘要

Ultrasound catheter devices and methods provide enhanced disruption of blood vessel obstructions. Ultrasound catheter devices generally include an elongate flexible catheter body with one or more lumens, an ultrasound transmission member extending longitudinally through the catheter body lumen and a distal head coupled with the transmission member and positioned adjacent the distal end of the catheter body for disrupting occlusions. Improved features of ultrasound catheters include catheter bodies and ultrasound transmission members with increasing distal flexibility, guidewire tubes allowing contact between a guidewire and an ultrasound transmission member, distal heads with improved guidewire lumens, and torquable proximal housings for enhancing disruption of blood vessel occlusions.

主权项

1. An ultrasound catheter comprising:
a catheter body having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a distally narrowing taper, and at least one lumen, wherein the proximal portion is stiffer than the distal portion, and the distal portion is more flexible near a distal end of the catheter body than near the proximal portion of the catheter body; an ultrasound transmission member extending longitudinally through the at least one lumen and having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distally narrowing taper; a distal head coupled with the distal end of the ultrasound transmission member and disposed adjacent the distal end of the catheter body; and at least one coupling member for coupling the ultrasound transmission member with a source of ultrasound energy, wherein the ultrasound transmission member is more flexible near its distal end than near its proximal end and contacts a guidewire, the distal portion of the catheter body and the ultrasound transmission member are sufficiently flexible to conform concomitantly with at least one bend in the guidewire extended through the at least one lumen, the distally narrowing taper of the ultrasound transmission member extends distally beyond the distally narrowing taper of the catheter body.