Propulsion system for inertial energy transfer to disrupt vascular lesions

A method to induce fractures upon a vascular lesion, comprising:

• advancing a catheter to a vascular lesion location within a blood vessel, the catheter comprising a balloon coupled to an elongate shaft;
• expanding the balloon to a first expanded configuration;
• and
• while maintaining the balloon in the first expanded configuration, propelling a fluid from a first orifice defined in the elongate shaft toward a balloon wall, wherein propelling the fluid further comprises operating an actuation valve located at a distal region of a propulsion fluid lumen defined in the elongate shaft to pulse the fluid and create a pulsed jet of fluid.

A catheter system to induce fractures upon a vascular lesion, comprising:

• a catheter configured to advance to a vascular lesion location within a blood vessel, the catheter comprising:
• an elongate shaft wherein the elongate shaft defines at least a first orifice and a second orifice for fluid flow, wherein the elongate shaft further defines a propulsion fluid lumen;
• and
• an expandable balloon coupled to the elongate shaft and surrounding the first orifice and the second orifice;
• and
• a propulsion system comprising an external fluid flow source in fluid communication with a proximal end of the propulsion fluid lumen and an actuation valve at a distal end of the propulsion fluid lumen, wherein the propulsion system is configured to propel a pulsed jet of fluid propelled from the first orifice and from the second orifice toward a balloon wall.