Micro-emulsifier for arterial thrombus removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058716-B2
Application number	US-23163108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2008
Priority date	Sep 3, 2008
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a micro-emulsifier comprising a stack of piezoelectric materials, a horn at a proximal end of the stack of piezoelectric materials, and a transmission wire receivable in the horn for transmission of ultrasound waves able to be produced by the stack of piezoelectric materials. The ultrasound waves are able to be produced in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stack of piezoelectric materials and the horn. The transmission wire comprises a first end receivable in the horn and a second end remote from the first end, the second end having a bulb thereon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micro-emulsifier including a transducer, the micro-emulsifier comprising:
actuating coils;
only one piezoelectric element comprising a cylinder with a hollow core, the piezoelectric element configured to contract and expand in the longitudinal axis of the transducer;
a horn at a proximal end of the piezoelectric element, the horn including a hollow tube that extends the entire length of the horn; and
a flexible transmission wire of solid metal for transmission of ultrasound waves able to be produced by the piezoelectric element, the ultrasound waves being able to be produced in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the piezoelectric element and the horn, wherein the micro-emulsifier is configured for insertion of all of the micro-emulsifier into a human blood vessel for generating ultrasonic energy locally at a vicinity of a thrombus to ablate the thrombus, wherein the horn transmits and amplifies the ultrasonic energy, and wherein the transmission wire is integral with the horn.

2. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission wire comprises:
a first end integral with the horn and
a second end remote from the first end, the second end having a bulb thereon.

3. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the bulb has a smooth outer surface.

4. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the outer surface is of a shape selected from the group consisting of: irregular, and ball.

5. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the bulb is at least one of: integral with the second end, and securely attached to the second end.

6. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element cyclically compresses and expands in the direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the piezoelectric element and the horn.

7. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the micro-emulsifier is able to be accommodated in a major blood vessel, and the transmission wire is able to be located in a small blood vessel for ablation of a thrombus in the small blood vessel.

8. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element has a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 8 mm.

9. A micro-emulsifier including a transducer, the micro-emulsifier comprising:
actuating coils;
only one piezoelectric element comprising a cylinder with a hollow core, the piezoelectric element configured to contract and expand in the longitudinal axis of the transducer;
a horn at a proximal end of the piezoelectric element, the horn including a hollow tube that extends the entire length of the horn; and
a flexible transmission wire of solid metal for transmission of ultrasound waves able to be produced by the piezoelectric element, the transmission wire comprising a first end integral with the horn and a second end remote from the first end, the second end having a bulb thereon, wherein the micro-emulsifier is configured for insertion of all of the micro-emulsifier into a human blood vessel for generating ultrasonic energy locally at a vicinity of a thrombus to ablate the thrombus, wherein the horn transmits and amplifies the ultrasonic energy, and wherein the transmission wire is integral with the horn.

10. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the bulb is at least one of: integral with the second end, and secured to the second end.

11. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the ultrasound waves are able to be produced in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the piezoelectric materials and the horn.

12. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the bulb has a smooth outer surface.

13. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the outer surface is of a shape selected from the group consisting of: irregular, and ball.

14. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric element cyclically compresses and expands in the direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the piezoelectric element and the horn.

15. The micro-emulsifier as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the micro-emulsifier is able to be accommodated in a major blood vessel, and the transmission wire is able to be located in a small blood vessel for ablation of a thrombus in the small blood vessel.

16. A method of ablating a thrombus in a human blood vessel using a micro-emulsifier including a transducer, the method comprising:
passing a micro-emulsifier comprising actuating coils, only one piezoelectric element comprising a cylinder with a hollow core, the piezoelectric element configured to contract and expand along the longitudinal axis of the transducer, a horn at a proximal end of the piezoelectric element, the horn including a hollow tube that extends the entire length of the horn, and a flexible transmission wire of solid metal for transmission of ultrasound waves able to be produced by the piezoelectric element along a larger human blood vessel able to accommodate all of the micro-emulsifier in the larger human blood vessel until the transmission wire contacts the thrombus in the larger human blood vessel, or the transmission wire enters a smaller human blood vessel and contacts a thrombus in the smaller human blood vessel, wherein the transmission wire comprises a first end integral with the horn and a second end remote from the first end, the second end having a bulb thereon, wherein the transmission wire is integral with the horn, and wherein the horn transmits and amplifies the ultrasonic energy,
actuating the micro-emulsifier at the vicinity of the thrombus to create longitudinally-directed ultrasonic energy at the bulb to ablate the thrombus.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the ablation of the thrombus is by at least one of cavitation and mechanical fragmentation.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein ablation includes emulsification, defragmentation and thromblysis.

Assignees

• Ma Jan
• Low Adrian Fatt Hoe
• Boey Yin Chiang
• Univ Nanyang Tech

Inventors

• Ma Jan
• Low Adrian Fatt Hoe
• Boey Yin Chiang

Classifications

• A61N7/00 Primary

  Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) · CPC title

• A61N2007/0043

  intra-cavitary · CPC title

• A61B17/22004

  using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves (A61B17/225 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N2007/0039

  using microbubbles · CPC title