Side light direction plasma system to distrupt vascular lesions

Abstract

A catheter system for pressure wave and inertial impulse generation for intravascular lesion disruption includes a balloon coupled to an elongate shaft, and a first and second light guide disposed along the elongate shaft. The first and second light guides each include a diverting feature in optical communication with at least one light window to direct light to exit each light guide toward a side surface portion thereof and toward the balloon. A method includes expanding the balloon from a collapsed configuration to a first expanded configuration, and activating a light source in optical communication with each light guide to provide sub-millisecond pulses of light to the diverting features, thereby inducing plasma formation in a balloon fluid, causing rapid bubble formation, and imparting pressure waves upon the treatment site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A balloon catheter system, comprising:
 an elongate shaft having a proximal end region, a distal end region, a wall and an inflation lumen extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region;   an expandable balloon coupled to the distal end region of the elongate shaft, the balloon having an inflation chamber in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the elongate shaft, and wherein the inflation lumen is configured to permit an inflation media to fill the inflation chamber of the balloon; and   a light guide extending within the wall of the elongate shaft and including a first light diverting feature and a second light diverting feature, wherein each of the first and second light diverting features are configured to divert light away from a longitudinal axis of the light guide;   wherein a portion of the first light diverting feature is longitudinally aligned with at least a portion of the second light diverting feature.   
     
     
         2 . The catheter system of  claim 1 , wherein the first light diverting feature, the second light diverting feature, or both the first and the second light diverting features are configured to divert light to form a plasma in the inflation media. 
     
     
         3 . The catheter system of  claim 2 , wherein the formation of the plasma forms a bubble configured to impart a pressure wave on a treatment site adjacent to the balloon. 
     
     
         4 . The catheter system of  claim 2 , wherein the first diverting feature has a first size and the second light diverting feature has a second size different from the first size. 
     
     
         5 . The catheter system of  claim 4 , wherein the first diverting feature is larger than the second diverting feature. 
     
     
         6 . The catheter system of  claim 5 , wherein the first diverting feature is positioned distal to the second diverting feature. 
     
     
         7 . The catheter system of  claim 6 , wherein the first light diverting feature is spaced longitudinally away from the second light diverting feature. 
     
     
         8 . The catheter system of  claim 6 , wherein the first light diverting feature, the second light diverting feature, or both the first and the second light diverting features are dome-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The catheter system of  claim 1 , wherein the light guide further comprises a first light window in optical communication with the first light diverting feature and a second light window in optical communication with the second light diverting feature, wherein each of the first light window and the second light window are configured to permit light to exit the light guide. 
     
     
         10 . The catheter of  claim 9 , wherein the first light window is longitudinally spaced away from the second light window. 
     
     
         11 . The catheter of  claim 9 , wherein the first light window has a first surface area and the second light window has a second surface area, wherein the first surface area is larger than the second surface area. 
     
     
         12 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the light guide further includes a third light diverting feature configured to divert light away from the longitudinal axis of the light guide, and wherein the third light diverting feature is circumferentially offset from the first light diverting feature. 
     
     
         13 . The catheter of  claim 6 , wherein the light guide further includes a third light diverting feature configured to divert light away from the longitudinal axis of the light guide, and wherein the third light diverting feature is longitudinally aligned with the first light diverting feature and the second light diverting feature. 
     
     
         14 . The catheter of  claim 13 , wherein the third diverting feature is positioned distal to the first diverting feature, and wherein the third diverting feature is larger than the second diverting feature. 
     
     
         15 . A balloon catheter system, comprising:
 an elongate shaft having a proximal end region coupled to a light source, a distal end region coupled to an expandable balloon, and an inflation lumen extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region, wherein the expandable balloon includes an inflation chamber in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the elongate shaft, and wherein the inflation lumen is configured to permit a balloon inflation media to fill the inflation chamber of the balloon;   a first light guide extending within a wall of the elongate shaft and including a first light diverting feature configured to divert light away from a longitudinal axis of the light guide; and   a second light guide extending within the wall of the elongate shaft and including a second light diverting feature, configured to divert light away from the longitudinal axis of the light guide;   wherein light diverted by a portion of the first light diverting feature, a portion of the second light diverting feature, or a portion of both the first and the second light diverting features is configured to form a plasma in the balloon inflation media.   
     
     
         16 . The catheter system of  claim 15 , wherein the plasma forms a bubble configured to impart a pressure on a treatment site adjacent to the balloon. 
     
     
         17 . The catheter system of  claim 15 , wherein the first light guide and the second light guide are circumferentially spaced from one another on opposite sides of the elongate catheter. 
     
     
         18 . The catheter system of  claim 15 , wherein the first light guide further comprises a first light window in optical communication with the first light diverting feature and the second light guide further comprises a second light window in optical communication with the second light diverting feature. 
     
     
         19 . The catheter system of  claim 15 , wherein the first light diverting feature, the second light diverting feature, or both the first and the second light diverting features are dome-shaped. 
     
     
         20 . A method for treating a vascular lesion with a balloon catheter system, the method comprising:
 advancing a balloon catheter system to a lesion site, the balloon catheter system comprising:
 an elongate shaft having a proximal end region, a distal end region, a wall and an inflation lumen extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region; 
 an expandable balloon coupled to the distal end region of the elongate shaft, the balloon having an inflation chamber in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the elongate shaft, and wherein the inflation lumen is configured to permit a balloon inflation media to fill the inflation chamber of the balloon; and 
 a light guide coupled to a light source, the light guide extending within the wall of the elongate shaft and including a first light diverting feature and a second light diverting feature, wherein each of the first and second light diverting features are configured to divert light away from a longitudinal axis of the light guide; 
 wherein the first light diverting feature is longitudinally aligned with the second light diverting feature; 
   emitting light from the light source through the light guide; and   diverting light from the light guide into the inflation media to create a pressure wave within the inflation media on a portion of the balloon adjacent to the vascular lesion.