In vivo ultrasonic system with angioplasty and ultrasonic contrast imaging

Claim 2

An ultrasonic system comprising an ultrasonic power generator including a horn, a high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire connected to said horn, said high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire being formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000.

Claim 3

A method for performing ultrasonic angioplasty using an ultrasonic system as set forth in claim 1, which comprises the steps of inserting the high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire into the patient to be treated and then applying ultrasonic energy via the high efficiency ultrasonic transmission wire to an occulation in the patient's circulatory system for a duration and intensity effective for breaking up the occlusion and restoring good blood flow.

Claim 4

The ultrasound transmission system of claim 1, wherein said material from which said wire is formed is an aluminum based alloy.

Claim 5

The ultrasound transmission system of claim 3, wherein said aluminum based alloy is taken from the group consisting of duralumin, heduminium, AL-7075, AL-6061 and AL-2024.

Claim 6

A high efficiency ultrasound transmission member, comprising a wire which is formed from a material having a Q greater than about 50,000; connecting means for connecting the wire to the horn of an ultrasound generator.

Claim 7

A high efficiency ultrasound transmission member, comprising a wire which is formed from a material having a Q greater than about 50,000; connecting means for connecting the wire to the horn of an ultrasound generator.

Claim 8

The high efficiency ultrasound transmission member of claim 5, wherein the horn comprises a microtip and wherein the wire includes a flared end which is integral with the free end of said microtip.

Claim 9

The high efficiency ultrasonic transmission member of claim 6 wherein the wire has an outside diameter of about 0.8 to 1.6 millimeters which increase to about one-half inch in diameter at the flared end of the wire.

Claim 10

The high efficiency ultrasound transmission member of claim 7, wherein the wire has a free end surface which is flat at least one a face thereof which is radially inward of its outer periphery.

Claim 11

The high efficiency ultrasound transmission member of claim 5, wherein the wire has a free end surface which is flat at least on a face thereof which is radially inward of its outer periphery.

Claim 12

The ultrasound transmission member of claim 5, wherein said wire forming material is an aluminum based alloy.

Claim 13

The ultrasound transmission member of claim 10, wherein said aluminum based alloy is taken from the group consisting of duralumin, heduminium, AL-7075, AL-6061 and AL-2024.

Claim 14

A high efficiency ultrasound transmission wire that has been machined from a bar of material and is formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000, and a microtip of a horn connected to one end of said wire for transferring ultrasound thereto.

Claim 15

A high efficiency ultrasound transmission wire that has been machined from a bar of material and is formed from a material having a mechanical Q greater than about 50,000, and a microtip of a horn connected to one end of said wire for transferring ultrasound thereto.

Claim 16

The ultrasound transmission wire of claim 12, wherein said wire and said microtip are machined as an integral assemblage from said bar of material.

Claim 17

The ultrasound transmission wire of claim 13, wherein the microtip at its end adjacent said wire is of substantially greater diameter than is said wire, and the transition from said end of said microtip to said wire is gradual.

Claim 18

The ultrasound transmission wire of claim 14, wherein said gradual transition is exponentially tapered.

Claim 19

The high efficiency ultrasound transmission wire of claim 12 which includes an end including a flat surface.

Claim 20

The high efficiency ultrasound transmission wire of claim 16, wherein said flat surface is surrounded by a peripheral portion that is rounded to reduce the likelihood of said wire perforating surrounding tissue.

Claim 21

An ultrasonic device for reducing an obstruction in a human body lumen defined by an anatomical wall, said device comprising: a. an ultrasonic power generator for generating ultrasonic energy, and ultrasonic power generator including: (i) an ultrasonic frequency electric wave generator, (ii) a transducer-converter for converting said ultrasonic frequency electric wave to an ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave, and (iii) a horn for altering the wave form of said ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave produced by said transducer-converter and for emitting said ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave from said ultrasonic power generator, b. an ultrasonic transmission wire having a proximal end connected to said horn and a distal end remote therefrom, said transmission wire being disposable within said human body lumen with said distal end adjacent said obstruction for transmitting ultrasonic mechanical energy from the horn of said ultrasonic generator to said obstruction without substantially altering the ultrasonic wave form applied to the proximal end thereof, to thereby reduce the size of said obstruction at said distal end, c. said transmission wire being made of a material having a mechanical Q of not less than about 50,000, whereby to permit the efficient transmission of ultrasonic energy through said transmission wire and to prevent said transmission wire when disposed in said lumen from heating up during the transmission of said ultrasonic energy to an extent that would injure said anatomical wall defining said lumen and any body fluid within said lumen.

Claim 22

An ultrasonic device for reducing an obstruction in a human body lumen defined by an anatomical wall, said device comprising: a. an ultrasonic power generator for generating ultrasonic energy, and ultrasonic power generator including: (i) an ultrasonic frequency electric wave generator, (ii) a transducer-converter for converting said ultrasonic frequency electric wave to an ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave, and (iii) a horn for altering the wave form of said ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave produced by said transducer-converter and for emitting said ultrasonic frequency mechanical wave from said ultrasonic power generator, b. an ultrasonic transmission wire having a proximal end connected to said horn and a distal end remote therefrom, said transmission wire being disposable within said human body lumen with said distal end adjacent said obstruction for transmitting ultrasonic mechanical energy from the horn of said ultrasonic generator to said obstruction without substantially altering the ultrasonic wave form applied to the proximal end thereof, to thereby reduce the size of said obstruction at said distal end, c. said transmission wire being made of a material having a mechanical Q of not less than about 50,000, whereby to permit the efficient transmission of ultrasonic energy through said transmission wire and to prevent said transmission wire when disposed in said lumen from heating up during the transmission of said ultrasonic energy to an extent that would injure said anatomical wall defining said lumen and any body fluid within said lumen.

Claim 23

The ultrasonic device of claim 18, wherein said human body lumen is a blood vessel.

Claim 24

The ultrasonic device of claim 19, wherein said blood vessel is an artery.

Claim 27

The method of claim 21, wherein the long flexible transmission wire has a length that is an integral multiple of about one-half wave length of the ultrasound to be transmitted and in the range of about 12.54 to about 125 centimeters.