APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ULTRASONIC MEDICAL DEVICE TO TREAT CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSIONS

摘要

An apparatus and method for using an ultrasonic medical device (11) to treat chronic total occlusions (77) comprises an ultrasonic probe (15), a transducer, a coupling (33) engaging a proximal end (31) of the ultrasonic probe (15) to a distal end (24) of the transducer and an ultrasonic energy source (99) engaged to the transducer. The ultrasonic probe (15) is inserted into a vasculature (44) and place in communication with the chronic total occlusion (77). The ultrasonic energy source (99) produces an ultrasonic energy that is transmitted to the transducer, where the transducer creates a transverse ultrasonic vibration along the ultrasonic probe (15). The transverse ultrasonic vibration creates a plurality of transverse nodes (40) and a plurality of transverse anti-nodes (42) along the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic probe (15), creating cavitation long a portion of the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic probe (15) to ablate the chronic total occlusion (77).