Ultrasound catheter for improving blood flow to the heart

Abstract

A catheter useful for improving blood flow to a patient's heart has an elongated catheter body with a proximal end and a distal end. The elongated catheter body defines a catheter lumen. The elongated catheter body has an introducer distal portion with a tissue piercing distal end. An ultrasound transducer is positioned in the introducer distal portion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A catheter, comprising: 
 an elongated catheter body with a proximal end and a distal end, the elongated catheter body defining a catheter lumen, the elongated catheter body including an introducer distal portion with a tissue piercing distal end; and    an ultrasound transducer positioned in the introducer distal portion.    
     
     
         2 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a support member supporting the ultrasound transducer on a catheter lumen elongated body, the support member creating a chamber between the catheter lumen elongated body and the ultrasound transducer, wherein the chamber is filled with an acoustic reduction medium.    
     
     
         3 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is air.  
     
     
         4 . The catheter of  claim 2 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is a vacuum.  
     
     
         5 . The catheter of  claim 3 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is a gas.  
     
     
         6 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an advancement member coupled to the catheter body to advance at least a portion of the introducer distal portion into a selected tissue site.    
     
     
         7 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated catheter body is more flexible than the introducer distal end.  
     
     
         8 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a steering member coupled to the elongated catheter body.    
     
     
         9 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a thermal sensor coupled to the ultrasound transducer.    
     
     
         10 . The catheter of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a feedback control coupled to the thermal sensor.    
     
     
         11 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a lumen delivery port formed in the elongated catheter body and coupled to the lumen.    
     
     
         12 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the lumen is acoustically isolated from the ultrasound energy from the ultrasound transducer to permit the d e livery of microbubbles to a selected tissue site from the lumen delivery port.  
     
     
         13 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated catheter body is sufficiently flexible to be introducible through the vasculature.  
     
     
         14 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the introducer distal portion has sufficient column strength to be advanced through a heart wall.  
     
     
         15 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the introducer distal portion has sufficient column strength to be advanced through a heart wall a sufficient distance to permit creation of a revascularzation channel by the ultrasound transducer from the delivery of ultrasound energy to a heart tissue site.  
     
     
         16 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the introducer distal portion has sufficient column strength to be advanced through a heart wall a sufficient distance to stimulate angiogenesis upon the delivery of ultrasound energy to a heart tissue site.  
     
     
         17 . The catheter of  claim 12 , wherein the lumen is acoustically isolated from ultrasound energy from the ultrasound transducer to permit the delivery of microbubbles and a medicament to a selected tissue site from the lumen delivery port.  
     
     
         18 . A catheter system, comprising: 
 a guiding catheter including an elongated guiding catheter body defining a guiding catheter lumen; and    a delivery catheter positionable in the guiding catheter lumen, the delivery catheter including an elongated delivery catheter body, an introducer distal portion with a tissue piercing distal end, and an ultrasound transducer coupled to the introducer distal portion.    
     
     
         19 . The catheter system of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a support member supporting the ultrasound transducer on a catheter lumen elongated body, the support member creating a chamber between the catheter lumen elongated body and the ultrasound transducer, wherein the chamber is filled with an acoustic reduction medium.    
     
     
         20 . The catheter system of  claim 19 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is air.  
     
     
         21 . The catheter system of  claim 19 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is a vacuum.  
     
     
         22 . The catheter system of  claim 19 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is a gas.  
     
     
         23 . The catheter system of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 an advancement member coupled to the elongated delivery catheter body to advance at least a portion of the introducer into a selected tissue site.    
     
     
         24 . The catheter system of  claim 18 , wherein the introducer is less flexible than the elongated delivery catheter body.  
     
     
         25 . The catheter system of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a steering member coupled to the elongated guiding catheter body.    
     
     
         26 . The catheter system of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a thermal sensor coupled to the ultrasound transducer.    
     
     
         27 . The catheter system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a feedback control coupled to the thermal sensor.    
     
     
         28 . A catheter, comprising: 
 an elongated catheter body defining a lumen, the elongated catheter body including a distal portion and a longitudinal axis along the distal portion;    a tissue piercing member coupled to the elongated catheter body and laterally extendable from the distal portion relative to the longitudinal axis, the tissue piercing member including a tissue piercing distal end; and    an ultrasound transducer coupled to the tissue piercing member.    
     
     
         29 . The catheter of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a support member supporting the ultrasound transducer on a catheter lumen elongated body, the support member creating a chamber between the catheter lumen elongated body and the ultrasound transducer, wherein the chamber is filled with an acoustic reduction medium.    
     
     
         30 . The catheter of  claim 29 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is air.  
     
     
         31 . The catheter of  claim 29 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is a vacuum.  
     
     
         32 . The catheter of  claim 29 , wherein the acoustic reduction medium is a gas.  
     
     
         33 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member has sufficient column strength to be introduced through a heart wall to a selected heart tissue site.  
     
     
         34 . The catheter of  claim 28 , further comprising an advancement and retraction member coupled to the tissue piercing member.  
     
     
         35 . The catheter of  claim 28 , further comprising an electrical connector coupled to the ultrasound transducer.  
     
     
         36 . The catheter of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a thermal sensor coupled to the ultrasound transmitter.    
     
     
         37 . The catheter of  claim 36 , wherein the thermal sensor is positioned on a surface of the tissue piercing member.  
     
     
         38 . The catheter  claim 28  wherein the transducer has a cylindrical geometry.  
     
     
         39 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein a geometry of the transmitter is a hollow cylinder.  
     
     
         40 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein a geometry of the transducer is hemispherical.  
     
     
         41 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the transducer is a flat plate.  
     
     
         42 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein a geometry of the transducer is round.  
     
     
         43 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member is made of stainless steel.  
     
     
         44 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member is made of a shape memory alloy.  
     
     
         45 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member is pre-shaped.  
     
     
         46 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member is made with a sufficient column strength to be introducer into a wall of the heart.  
     
     
         47 . The catheter of  claim 28 , the elongated catheter body is sized to be positionable in a vasculature vessel.  
     
     
         48 . The catheter of  claim 28 , the elongated catheter body is sized to be positioned in an arterial vessel.  
     
     
         49 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member has sufficient column strength to be advanced through a heart wall.  
     
     
         50 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member has sufficient column strength to be advanced through a heart wall a sufficient distance to permit creation of a revascularzation channel by the ultrasound transducer from the delivery of ultrasound energy to a heart tissue site.  
     
     
         51 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the tissue piercing member has sufficient column strength to be advanced through a heart wall a sufficient distance to stimulate angiogenesis upon the delivery of ultrasound energy to a heart tissue site.  
     
     
         52 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the lumen is acoustically isolated from ultrasound energy from the ultrasound transducer to permit the delivery of microbubbles to a selected tissue site from a lumen delivery port.  
     
     
         53 . The catheter of  claim 28 , wherein the lumen is acoustically isolated from ultrasound energy from the ultrasound transducer to permit the delivery of microbubbles and a medicament to a selected tissue site from a lumen delivery port.