Patent ID: 11957369
Assignee: NEXTERN INNOVATION, LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for disrupting occlusions within a blood vessel and cracking or disrupting calcifications within a wall of the blood vessel, comprising:
providing:
an elongated carrier;
an angioplasty balloon comprising a material and disposed near a distal end of the elongated catheter, wherein a distal end of the angioplasty balloon is sealed against the elongated catheter, the angioplasty balloon defining an interior region;
a fluid channel in fluid communication with the interior region of the angioplasty balloon and a conductive fluid reservoir, configured to inflate the balloon with the conductive fluid;
a first electrode pair comprising a first proximal electrode disposed along the elongated carrier within the interior region of the angioplasty balloon and a first distal electrode disposed along the elongated carrier within the interior region of the angioplasty balloon, the first distal electrode spaced axially from the first proximal electrode, wherein the axial spacing between the first proximal and first distal electrodes comprises a first spark gap;
a second electrode pair comprising a second proximal electrode disposed along the elongated carrier within the interior region of the angioplasty balloon and a second distal electrode disposed along the elongated carrier within the interior region of the angioplasty balloon, the second distal electrode spaced axially from the second proximal electrode disposed along the elongated carrier, within the interior region of the angioplasty balloon, wherein the axial spacing between the second proximal and second distal electrodes comprises a second spark gap;
ensuring that the first distal electrode is in operative electrical communication with the second proximal electrode,
providing a pulse generator in operative electrical communication with one of the first proximal electrode and the first distal electrode, the pulse generator configured to generate a plurality of voltage pulses to the first electrode pair;
providing a processor operatively connected to the pulse generator and comprising programmed instructions configured to control and operate the pulse generator, the processor in operative communication with a voltage monitor and a current monitor;
applying a first voltage pulse from the pulse generator to one of the first proximal electrode and first distal electrode;
causing current to flow between the first proximal electrode and the first distal electrode;
generating a first electrical arc across the first spark gap through the conductive fluid;
causing current to flow between the first distal electrode and the second proximal electrode;
causing current to flow between the second proximal electrode and the second distal electrode; and
generating an second electrical arc across the second spark gap through the conductive fluid,

wherein the voltage monitor is configured to monitor the magnitude of a first voltage pulse applied to one of the first proximal electrode and the first distal electrode,
wherein the current monitor is configured to monitor the magnitude of current flowing between the first proximal electrode and the first distal electrode resulting from the first applied voltage pulse, and
wherein the processor is configured to determine the magnitude of voltage to be applied to one of the first proximal electrode and the first distal electrode for a second applied voltage pulse based on one or both of the magnitude of the monitored voltage and the magnitude of the monitored current of the first voltage pulse.