Catheter devices with damping assemblies for core wires

A system for modifying intravascular lesions comprising:

• an ultrasonic generator configured to generate an electric signal;
• an ultrasonic transducer communicatively coupled to the ultrasonic generator to receive the electric signal and generate vibrational energy;
• and
• a catheter assembly comprising:
• an ultrasonic connector coupling a core wire to the ultrasonic transducer to receive the vibrational energy therefrom;
• and
• a damping assembly comprising:
• a body receiving the core wire, the body comprising a bore defined by an interior surface of the body, wherein the bore comprises an insertion region at a proximal end of the body and a compression region disposed distal to the insertion region;
• a plurality of compression members disposed within the compression region of the bore;
• and
• a retention member extending at least partially into the compression region to axially compress the plurality of compression members, wherein the interior surface of the body defining the insertion region of the bore corresponds in shape to at least a portion of an exterior surface of the retention member to facilitate insertion of the retention member into the bore,
• wherein:
• the insertion region comprises one or more locking features corresponding in shape to one or more exterior surface components of the retention member, and
• the one or more locking features extend from a distal end of the insertion region and include ends that are disposed distally of a proximal end of the bore to retain the retention member at a desired position within the bore.

A method for making a catheter assembly for modifying intravascular lesions, the method comprising:

• disposing a core wire within a body of a damping assembly, the body defining a bore;
• disposing a plurality of compression members in the bore around the core wire;
• inserting a retention member into the bore by aligning one or more exterior surface components of the retention member with one or more insertion features of the bore;
• rotating the retention member in a rotation region of the damping assembly bore until the one or more exterior surface components of the retention member are aligned with one or more locking features in the bore;
• and
• compressing the plurality of compression members with the retention member such that the plurality of compression members damp vibrational energy in the core wire.