APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VASODILATION

摘要

A method and apparatus for dilating blood vessels in vasospasm through the use of high frequency waves, e.g., hydraulic or acoustic waves. The invention is suitable to treat any vasospasm, including any vasospasm intractable to medication; including cerebral vasospasm, which currently is not susceptible to any mechanical or chemical treatments. The apparatus (10) for dilating blood vessels includes a catheter (12) having a fluid-filled lumen, a wave generator (16) arranged within the catheter lumen for generating a wave front (20) that propagates through the fluid (14) in the lumen and is transmitted from the distal end (11) of the catheter to propagate through the fluid in the blood vessel, and an energy source connected to the wave generator to provide energy to produce the wave front.