Patent ID: 11911574
Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 10:
11. A method for generating pressure waves to induce fractures at a treatment site within or adjacent a vessel wall of a blood vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
advancing a catheter to the treatment site within the blood vessel, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft and a balloon coupled to the elongate shaft;
disposing a first light guide along the elongate shaft so that the first light guide is positioned at least partially within the balloon;
expanding the balloon with a fortified balloon inflation fluid to a first expanded configuration suitable for anchoring the catheter in position relative to the treatment site, the fortified balloon inflation fluid comprising a base inflation fluid and a fortification component, the fortification component being configured to reduce a threshold for inducing plasma formation in the fortified balloon inflation fluid compared to the base inflation fluid, wherein the fortification component includes one of carbon and iron, and wherein the fortification component is provided as a fortification component coating disposed on a surface of a structure that is in fluid communication with the base inflation fluid, the fortified balloon inflation fluid including absorptive agents having an absorption maxima of greater than 10 nanometers and less than 2.5 micrometers, the step of expanding the balloon including the steps of providing the fortification component as the fortification component coating disposed on one of an inside surface of a balloon wall of the balloon and a surface of the elongate shaft that is in fluid communication with the base inflation fluid, providing the base inflation fluid to the balloon, and the base inflation fluid solvating the fortification component coating to form the fortified balloon inflation fluid; and
after expanding the balloon, activating a light source in optical communication with the light guide and the fortified balloon inflation fluid to provide sub-millisecond pulses of a light from the light source to the fortified balloon inflation fluid so that plasma formation and rapid bubble formation occur in the fortified balloon inflation fluid, thereby imparting pressure waves upon the treatment site.