Method and apparatus for accelerated disintegration of blood clot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9895158-B2
Application number	US-201514736191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 26, 2007
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating a blood clot include a catheter to be inserted into a patient. The catheter is used to deliver low stability microbubbles toward the blood clot in the patient. A thrombolytic agent is delivered toward the blood clot, and ultrasonic energy is applied to the microbubbles to vibrate the microbubbles.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a treatment site in a patient, said method comprising:
inserting a catheter into the patient;
delivering microbubbles generated by a microfluidics device provided in the catheter, toward the treatment site in the patient, wherein the microfluidics device generates the microbubbles by focusing a gas stream at a nozzle by two liquid streams; and
applying ultrasonic energy to the microbubbles to vibrate the microbubbles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 50 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 30 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 90 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that microbubbles reduce in size by at least 50 percent, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that the microbubbles reduce in size by at least 30 percent, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that the microbubbles reduce in size by at least 90 percent, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 80 percent of a total volume of the microbubbles vanishes, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after a time period in the range of from 30 seconds to 180 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 80 percent of the total volume of microbubbles vanishes, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

10. The method of claim 1 , the microbubbles are designed such that wherein at least 50 percent of a total volume of the microbubbles vanishes, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after a time period in the range of from 30 seconds to 180 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 50 percent of the total volume of the microbubbles vanishes, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 30 percent of a total volume of the microbubbles vanishes, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after a time period in the range of from 30 seconds to 180 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 30 percent of the total volume of the microbubbles vanishes, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after 120 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 90 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after a time period in the range of 30 seconds to 180 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 80 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after a time period in the range of 30 seconds to 180 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 30 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, after a time period in the range of 30 seconds to 180 seconds after production of the microbubbles.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that at least 50 percent of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within a predetermined time period after production of the microbubbles, wherein said predetermined time period is in the range of 30 seconds to 180 seconds.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles are designed such that all of the microbubbles dissolve, without application of the ultrasonic energy, within ninety seconds after production of the microbubbles.

19. The method of any one of claims 1 - 18 , wherein the microbubbles have an average diameter greater than or equal to about eight micrometers.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles have an average diameter greater than or equal to about twenty-five micrometers.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the average diameter is in the range of twenty-five to thirty-five micrometers.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles have an average diameter in the range of about eight micrometers to about twenty-five micrometers.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles have an average diameter in the range of about ten micrometers to about twenty micrometers.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles have an average diameter in the range of about eight micrometers to about twenty micrometers.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles each have a-shell comprising albumin and a core comprising nitrogen.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles each have a shell and a core, and wherein said core comprises an unstable gas.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein said core further comprises a stable gas.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein said core further comprises a neuroprotective gas.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein said core further comprises a neuroprotective gas.

30. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment site comprises a blood clot in the brain of the patient and the ultrasonic energy is delivered trans-cranially from a location outside of the cranium.

31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment site comprises a blood clot in a cerebral artery and the catheter is inserted into the cerebral artery.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment site comprises a blood clot in a blood vessel, having caused an ischemic stroke.

33. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment site comprises a blood clot comprising congealed blood resulting from a hemorrhage.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment site comprises a blood clot in a vein, having caused deep vein thrombosis.

35. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment site comprises a blood clot in a pulmonary artery, having caused a pulmonary embolism.

36. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidics device is located within a distal end portion of the catheter.

37. The method of claim 36 , where

Assignees

• Univ Virginia Patent Foundation

Inventors

• Dixon Adam Joseph
• Hossack John Alexander

Classifications

• A61M13/00

  Insufflators for therapeutic or disinfectant purposes {, i.e. devices for blowing a gas, powder or vapour into the body (hand-held units in which gas flow is produced by muscular energy at the moment of use B05B11/062)} · CPC title

• A61K41/0028

  Disruption, e.g. by heat or ultrasounds, sonophysical or sonochemical activation, e.g. thermosensitive or heat-sensitive liposomes, disruption of calculi with a medicinal preparation and ultrasounds · CPC title

• A61B8/481

  involving the use of contrast agents, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream · CPC title

• A61M2205/3306

  Optical measuring means · CPC title

• A61M2205/3379

  Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates · CPC title