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US 10,893,881 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for accelerated disintegration of blood clot
AssigneeUniversity of Virginia Patent Foundation
InventorsAdam Joseph Dixon, John Alexander Hossack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims19
A method of treating a blood clot, said method comprising:
- inserting a catheter into a patient;
- delivering low stability microbubbles toward the blood clot in the patient, using a microfluidics device contained in a distal end portion of the catheter, the microfluidics device configured to produce and emit low stability microbubbles, the microfluidics device comprising electrodes configured to operate as a micro Coulter device to measure changes in impedance as the low stability microbubbles flow past the electrodes;
- measuring the diameters of the low stability microbubbles in real time;
- and changing the diameters of microbubbles produced by varying an input of at least one of gas pressure and liquid flow rate to the microfluidics device.
1 more element
A system for treating a blood clot, said system comprising:
- a catheter configured to be inserted into a patient;
- and
- a microfluidics device contained in a distal end portion of said catheter, said microfluidics device configured to produce and emit low stability microbubbles, said microfluidics device comprising electrodes configured to operate as a micro Coulter device to measure changes in impedance as the low stability microbubbles flow past the electrodes.
A method of treating a blood clot, said method comprising:
- inserting a catheter into a patient;
- producing low stability microbubbles at a location at a distance from the blood clot in the range from 0 mm to 5 cm, using a microfluidics device contained in a distal end portion of the catheter, the microfluidics device configured to produce and emit low stability microbubbles, the microfluidics device comprising electrodes configured to operate as a micro Coulter device to measure changes in impedance as the low stability microbubbles flow past the electrodes;
- delivering the low stability microbubbles toward the blood clot in the patient;
- delivering a thrombolytic agent toward the blood clot;
- and
- applying ultrasonic energy to the microbubbles to vibrate the microbubbles.
3 more elements
A system for treating a treatment site in a patient, said system comprising:
- a catheter configured to be inserted into the patient;
- wherein said catheter includes a microfluidics device contained in a distal end portion thereof, said microfluidics device configured to produce and emit low stability microbubbles, the microfluidics device comprising electrodes configured to operate as a micro Coulter device to measure changes in impedance as the low stability microbubbles flow past the electrodes, said microfluidics device configured to produce said low stability microbubbles at a location at a distance from the treatment site in the range from 0 mm to 5 cm;
- and wherein said catheter is configured to apply ultrasonic energy to the microbubbles to vibrate the microbubbles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.