Electrohydraulic Shock Wave Balloon for Cracking Vascular Calcium
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating calcified lesions in blood vessels, such as balloon angioplasty, may not effectively crack calcium deposits or efficiently open vessels, and existing shock wave technologies are limited in their ability to deliver consistent mechanical force across the length of calcified regions.
Innovation Solution
A shock wave device comprising a pair of elongated, flexible concentric tubes filled with a conductive fluid and equipped with multiple electrodes that generate high-voltage pulses to create shock waves, which can be advanced through a guide wire to treat vascular plaques, either alone or in conjunction with an angioplasty balloon, allowing for targeted mechanical force application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If balloon angioplasty is used to treat calcified lesions, then the vessel can be opened, but the calcium deposits cannot be effectively cracked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical balloon expansion system with an electrohydraulic shock wave generation system. High voltage pulses are applied to electrodes immersed in conductive fluid within the balloon, creating electrohydraulic shock waves that propagate through the vessel wall to crack calcium deposits. This substitution of mechanical force with electrohydraulic shock waves enables effective calcification treatment while maintaining vessel opening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the treatment system by introducing conductive fluid into the balloon and applying high voltage electrical pulses. This transforms the treatment mechanism from simple mechanical expansion to electrohydraulic shock wave generation, enabling the cracking of calcium deposits through controlled electrical parameter application (voltage, pulse duration, frequency) rather than relying solely on mechanical pressure.
2Force
If high pressure is applied during balloon expansion to open vessels, then the vessel can be opened, but the risk of vessel damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes high-pressure mechanical balloon expansion with electrohydraulic shock wave treatment. The shock waves are generated within the balloon and propagate through the vessel wall to fracture calcium deposits, allowing vessel opening at lower pressures. This replacement of direct mechanical pressure with shock wave mechanics reduces the harmful effects of high pressure on the vessel wall while maintaining the ability to open the vessel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electrohydraulic shock waves as an intermediary mechanism between the balloon and the calcium deposits. Rather than applying force directly through high-pressure balloon expansion, the shock waves serve as a mediator that transmits energy to the calcifications, enabling effective treatment with reduced direct mechanical stress on the vessel wall.
3Strength
If existing shock wave technologies are used, then calcium deposits can be cracked, but consistent mechanical force cannot be delivered across the length of calcified regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shock wave generation along the length of the balloon by incorporating multiple electrodes or electrode pairs distributed axially within the balloon. This segmentation enables the generation of multiple shock wave sources along the calcified region, ensuring consistent mechanical force delivery across the entire length of the treatment area rather than concentrating force at a single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional treatment system where the balloon serves both as a delivery mechanism and as a containment chamber for conductive fluid and electrodes. The balloon structure enables universal application along its entire length, allowing consistent shock wave generation across varying lengths of calcified regions while maintaining the ability to treat different vessel diameters and anatomical locations.
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 device effectively cracks calcium deposits and opens vessels by delivering consistent mechanical force along the length of calcified regions, reducing the need for high pressure during balloon expansion and enabling the use of off-the-shelf angioplasty balloons, thus improving treatment efficacy and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
A series of high voltage pulses are applied to the electrodes, with each pulse generating a shockwave in the conductive fluid. The shock waves pass through the balloon wall and into the occlusion, cracking the calcium deposits.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are shock wave devices and methods for the treatment of vascular plaques. One variation of a shock wave device may include a pair of elongated, flexible concentric tubes comprising an inner tube and an outer tube. The inner tube and the outer tube may be connected together at one end, and at least a portion of the volume between the inner tube and the outer tube may be filled with a conductive fluid via the other end. At least two electrodes may be positioned between the inner tube and the outer tube, the at least two electrodes being electrically connectable to a voltage source and configured to generate shock waves in the conductive fluid in response to voltage pulses.