US Patent No: 5,944,687
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
Opto-acoustic transducer for medical applications
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Aug 31, 1999
Issued date -
Apr 24, 1996
filing date -
08/639,018
serial no -
In Force
status
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Abstract
This invention is an optically activated transducer for generating acoustic vibrations in a biological medium. The transducer is located at the end of a fiber optic which may be located within a catheter. Energy for operating the transducer is provided optically by laser light transmitted through the fiber optic to the transducer. Pulsed laser light is absorbed in the working fluid of the transducer to generate a thermal pressure and consequent adiabatic expansion of the transducer head such that it does work against the ambient medium. The transducer returns to its original state by a process of thermal cooling. The motion of the transducer within the ambient medium couples acoustic energy into the medium. By pulsing the laser at a high repetition rate (which may vary from CW to 100 kHz) an ultrasonic radiation field can be established locally in the medium. This method of producing ultrasonic vibrations can be used in vivo for the treatment of stroke-related conditions in humans, particularly for dissolving thrombus. The catheter may also incorporate anti-thrombolytic drug treatments as an adjunct therapy and it may be operated in conjunction with ultrasonic detection equipment for imaging and feedback control.
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First Claim
Related Publications
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International Classification(s)
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Cited Art
| Patent Info | (Count) | # Cites | Year |
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| 5,029,588 Laser catheter with imaging capability | 188 | 1989 | |
| 5,010,886 Medical probe assembly having combined ultrasonic imaging and laser ablation capabilities | 74 | 1989 | |
| 5,005,180 Laser catheter system | 66 | 1989 | |
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| 4,775,361 Controlled removal of human stratum corneum by pulsed laser to enhance percutaneous transport | 99 | 1986 | |
| 5,354,324 Laser induced platelet inhibition | 11 | 1990 | |
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| 5,324,255 Angioplasty and ablative devices having onboard ultrasound components and devices and methods for utilizing ultrasound to treat or prevent vasopasm | 199 | 1992 | |
| 5,368,558 Ultrasonic ablation catheter device having endoscopic component and method of using same | 87 | 1993 | |
| 5,474,530 Angioplasty and ablative devices having onboard ultrasound components and devices and methods for utilizing ultrasound to treat or prevent vasospasm | 111 | 1994 | |
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| 5,304,115 Ultrasonic angioplasty device incorporating improved transmission member and ablation probe | 137 | 1991 | |
| 5,326,342 Ultrasonic angioplasty device incorporating all ultrasound transmission member made at least partially from a superlastic metal alloy | 32 | 1992 | |
| 5,397,301 Ultrasonic angioplasty device incorporating an ultrasound transmission member made at least partially from a superelastic metal alloy | 66 | 1993 | |
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| 5,026,366 Angioplasty catheter and method of use thereof | 172 | 1988 | |
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| 5,041,121 Shock wave generator | 46 | 1989 | |
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| 5,224,942 Surgical method and apparatus utilizing laser energy for removing body tissue | 22 | 1992 | |
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| 5,116,227 Process for cleaning and enlarging passages | 26 | 1991 | |
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| 5,193,526 Laser light irradiation apparatus | 28 | 1992 | |
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| 5,219,401 Apparatus for selective destruction of cells by implosion of gas bubbles | 104 | 1990 | |
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| 5,342,355 Energy delivering cap element for end of optic fiber conveying laser energy | 25 | 1992 | |
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| 5,300,066 Contact laser delivery system | 19 | 1992 | |
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| 5,254,114 Medical laser delivery system with internally reflecting probe and method | 30 | 1991 | |
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| 4,913,142 Catheter for laser angiosurgery | 177 | 1987 | |
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| 4,770,653 Laser angioplasty | 86 | 1987 | |
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| 5,370,609 Thrombectomy device | 138 | 1993 | |
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| 5,397,293 Ultrasonic device with sheath and transverse motion damping | 76 | 1992 | |
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| 4,927,427 Lithotriptor device for trapping and destroying concretions | 40 | 1989 | |
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| 5,146,917 Fibre-optic apparatus for the photodynamic treatment of tumors | 32 | 1991 | |
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| 5,254,112 Device for use in laser angioplasty | 73 | 1990 | |
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| 4,834,093 Dilation catheter and method | 34 | 1986 | |
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| 4,900,921 System and method for opto-acoustic liquid quantity measurement and transducer therefor | 22 | 1988 | |
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| 5,058,570 Ultrasonic surgical apparatus | 74 | 1988 | |
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| 4,862,886 Laser angioplasty | 132 | 1985 | |
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| 5,109,859 Ultrasound guided laser angioplasty | 175 | 1989 | |
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| 5,399,158 Method of lysing thrombi | 24 | 1993 | |
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| 5,380,273 Vibrating catheter | 91 | 1993 | |
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| 4,844,585 Optically excited vibratile transducer | 6 | 1988 | |
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| 5,366,490 Medical probe device and method | 396 | 1993 | |
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| 5,041,108 Method for laser treatment of body lumens | 76 | 1989 | |
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| 5,350,375 Methods for laser induced fluorescence intensity feedback control during laser angioplasty | 62 | 1993 | |
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| 4,334,321 Opto-acoustic transducer and telephone receiver | 58 | 1981 | |
| 4,503,564 Opto-acoustic transducer for a telephone receiver | 50 | 1982 | |
| 4,576,177 Catheter for removing arteriosclerotic plaque | 200 | 1983 | |
| 4,589,415 Method and system for fragmenting kidney stones | 87 | 1984 | |
| 4,887,605 Laser catheter delivery system for controlled atheroma ablation combining laser angioplasty and intra-arterial ultrasonic imagining | 96 | 1988 | |
| 4,832,024 Cardio-vascular catheter for shooting a laser beam | 133 | 1988 | |
| 5,059,200 Laser lithotripsy | 24 | 1990 | |
| 5,152,768 Electrohydraulic lithotripsy | 12 | 1991 | |
| 5,377,683 Ultrasound-laser surgery apparatus and method | 28 | 1991 | |
| 5,324,282 Surgical instrument with input power transducer | 31 | 1992 | |
| 5,304,171 Catheter devices and methods for delivering | 69 | 1993 | |