Patent ID: 8668709

Claim:
A method for disrupting an occlusion in a blood vessel, the method comprising: providing an ultrasound catheter comprising a catheter body, a distal head, an ultrasound transmission member coupled to the distal head, and a guidewire tube extending through at least a portion of the distal head, the guidewire tube receiving at least a portion of a guidewire and at least a portion of the ultrasound transmission member, the catheter body receiving at least a portion of the guidewire tube and at least a portion of the ultrasound transmission member; advancing the ultrasound catheter through a blood vessel having at least one bend, the catheter conforming concomitantly to the at least one bend, wherein advancing includes contacting the ultrasound transmission member with the guidewire at one or more locations within the guidewire tube; positioning the distal head of the ultrasound catheter adjacent an occlusion in the blood vessel; and transmitting ultrasound energy to the ultrasound transmission member to disrupt the occlusion into multiple occlusion fragments, wherein transmitting includes transmitting ultrasound energy to the guidewire.