Catheter Plasma Target Spacing for Vascular Calcium Breakup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vascular lesions within and adjacent to blood vessels pose a risk for major adverse events, and existing treatments like drug therapy, balloon angioplasty, and stent placement may not be ideal or require subsequent treatment, while methods like optical breakdown for creating plasma to treat vascular lesions can damage light guides due to high energy requirements and proximity to the plasma creation site.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system with a light guide and a plasma target spaced apart to generate plasma away from the distal end, using a power source to emit light energy that creates a plasma at the target, reducing the energy required for treatment and minimizing damage to the light guide, and incorporating an inflatable balloon to direct pressure waves for lesion disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aqueous optical breakdown is used to create plasma near the distal end of the light guide, then plasma generation for vascular lesion treatment is achieved, but the light guide is at risk of damage from high energy, plasma temperatures, and pressure waves
Solution Approach 1:
A non-aqueous fluid (such as oil or perfluorocarbon) is introduced as an intermediary medium between the light guide and the vascular lesion. This fluid has higher optical breakdown threshold and different physical properties compared to aqueous solutions, allowing plasma generation at lower energies while protecting the light guide from direct exposure to high temperatures and pressure waves
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts water from the optical delivery system by using non-aqueous fluids instead of aqueous solutions. This removal of water eliminates the primary source of high-energy optical breakdown that damages the light guide, while still enabling plasma generation in the target tissue through the non-aqueous medium
2Power
If high energy is delivered to generate plasma via optical breakdown, then effective treatment of vascular lesions is achieved, but conversion efficiency of light energy to therapeutic pressure wave is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the optical medium from aqueous to non-aqueous properties. Non-aqueous fluids have different optical absorption coefficients, refractive indices, and breakdown thresholds, which alter the energy conversion pathway and improve the efficiency of converting light energy into therapeutic pressure waves with reduced energy loss
3Ease of operation
If plasma is created near the distal end of the light guide, then treatment of vascular lesions is enabled, but self-damage occurs due to proximity to plasma creation and pressure wave
Solution Approach 1:
The non-aqueous fluid serves as a protective intermediary layer between the light guide and the plasma generation zone. This mediator absorbs and dissipates the harmful effects of plasma temperatures and pressure waves before they can reach the light guide, enabling safe operation while maintaining treatment capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements prior cushioning by filling the space between the light guide and target tissue with non-aqueous fluid before plasma generation. This fluid cushioning protects the light guide from the forthcoming plasma and pressure wave effects, preventing self-damage before it occurs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The catheter system effectively reduces the energy needed for vascular lesion treatment, minimizing light guide damage and enhancing the conversion efficiency of light energy into therapeutic pressure waves, thereby improving the treatment of vascular lesions while reducing the risk of adverse events.
Implementation Method 1
Creation of a plasma via optical breakdown of an aqueous solution requires a significant amount of energy in a short amount of time upon which it is converted into a therapeutic bubble and/or a therapeutic pressure wave
Implementation Method 2
The plasma target is configured to receive light energy from the light guide so that a plasma is generated at the plasma target upon receiving the light energy from the light guide
Implementation Method 3
Creation of a plasma via optical breakdown of an aqueous solution requires a significant amount of energy in a short amount of time upon which it is converted into a therapeutic bubble and/or a therapeutic pressure wave
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a blood vessel includes a power source, a light guide and a plasma target. In various embodiments, the light guide receives power from the power source. The light guide has a distal tip, and the light guide emits light energy in a direction away from the distal tip. The plasma target is spaced apart from the distal tip of the light guide by a target gap distance. The plasma target is configured to receive light energy from the light guide so that a plasma bubble is generated at the plasma target. The power source can be a laser and the light guide can be an optical fiber. In certain embodiments, the catheter system can also an inflatable balloon that encircles the distal tip of the light guide. The plasma target can be positioned within the inflatable balloon. The target gap distance can be greater than 1 μm. The plasma target can have a target face that receives the light energy from the light guide. The target face can be angled relative to a direction the light energy is emitted to the plasma target. The plasma target can be formed from one or more of tungsten, tantalum, platinum, molybdenum, niobium, iridium, magnesium oxide, beryllium oxide, tungsten carbide, titanium nitride, titanium carbonitride and titanium carbide.