Ultrasound catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body

Abstract

The invention relates to a catheter system. The system comprises a catheter body having a chamber containing a low acoustic impedance medium. The catheter body includes an elongated body with an external surface and an ultrasound transducer having an external side between a first end and a second end. The ultrasound transducer is positioned over the external surface of the elongated body such that the first end is adjacent to the chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body, comprising:
 an elongated body having a lumen coupled with a drug delivery port through which a drug within the lumen can exit the lumen; and   a plurality of ultrasound elements where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element and at least two of the ultrasound elements are positioned on opposite sides of the drug delivery port and close enough to the drug delivery port that a drug delivered from the drug delivery port is exposed to ultrasound energy delivered from at least one of the ultrasound elements, the delivered drug and ultrasound energy providing the therapeutic effect to the vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The catheter of  claim 1 , where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element by approximately 1 cm. 
     
     
         3 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor.   
     
     
         4 . The catheter of  claim 3 , wherein the temperature sensor is positioned to detect the temperature of a surface of an ultrasound element. 
     
     
         5 . The catheter of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a feedback control system configured to adjust a level of ultrasound delivered from the plurality of ultrasound elements in response to a signal from the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of temperature sensors.   
     
     
         7 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a feedback control system for adjusting a level of ultrasound delivered from a particular ultrasound elements in response to a signal from a particular temperature sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one second drug delivery port coupled with the lumen.   
     
     
         9 . The catheter of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one second drug delivery port is positioned between adjacent ultrasound elements. 
     
     
         10 . The catheter of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a second lumen extending through the catheter; and   at least one second drug delivery port coupled with the second lumen to deliver a drug from the second lumen to the vessel.   
     
     
         11 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flexibility providing structure positioned between a two of the plurality of ultrasound elements.   
     
     
         12 . The catheter of  claim 11 , wherein the flexibility providing structure is at least one rib. 
     
     
         13 . The catheter of  claim 11 , wherein the flexibility providing structure is a braided material. 
     
     
         14 . The catheter of  claim 11 , wherein the flexibility providing structure is a mesh material. 
     
     
         15 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of each ultrasound element is coupled with a common wire and a second portion of each ultrasound element is coupled with a different wire. 
     
     
         16 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound elements are connected in series. 
     
     
         17 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound elements are connected in parallel. 
     
     
         18 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of temperature sensors are connected through a common wire. 
     
     
         19 . A catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body, comprising:
 an elongated body having a lumen coupled with a drug delivery port through which a drug within the lumen can exit the lumen;   a plurality of ultrasound elements where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element and at least two of the ultrasound elements are positioned on opposite sides of the drug delivery port; and close enough to the drug delivery port that a drug delivered from the drug delivery port is exposed to ultrasound energy delivered from at least one of the ultrasound elements, the delivered drug and ultrasound energy providing the therapeutic effect to the vessel; and   a flexibility providing structure positioned between two ultrasound elements among the plurality of ultrasound elements.   
     
     
         20 . The catheter of  claim 19 , where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element by approximately 1 cm. 
     
     
         21 . The catheter of  claim 19 , wherein the flexibility providing structure is at least one rib. 
     
     
         22 . The catheter of  claim 19 , wherein the flexibility providing structure is a braided material. 
     
     
         23 . The catheter of  claim 19 , wherein the flexibility providing structure is a mesh material. 
     
     
         24 . A catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body, comprising:
 an elongated body having a lumen coupled with a plurality of drug delivery ports through which a drug within the lumen can exit the lumen;   a plurality of ultrasound elements where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element and is close enough to one of plurality of drug delivery ports that a drug delivered from the drug delivery port is exposed to ultrasound energy delivered from the ultrasound element, the delivered drug and ultrasound energy providing the therapeutic effect to the vessel.   
     
     
         25 . The catheter of  claim 24 , where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element by approximately 1 cm.