Smart irrigation and aspiration system and method

A method of operating an aspiration and irrigation system, comprising:

• providing a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being in fluid communication with an interior of a kidney;
• an irrigation channel extending through the shaft from the proximal end to the distal end;
• an aspiration channel extending through the shaft from the proximal end to the distal end;
• a bypass channel fluidly coupled with the irrigation channel and with the aspiration channel;
• a bypass valve configured to control a level of fluid communication between the irrigation channel and the aspiration channel via the bypass channel;
• an aspiration pump in fluid communication with the aspiration channel and configured to pump fluid from a distal end toward a proximal end of the aspiration channel;
• at least one valve disposed on the aspiration channel and configured to provide a pulsed flow of fluid in the aspiration channel;
• a pressure sensor in fluid communication with an interior of the kidney;
• and
• a controller in communication with the pressure sensor, the bypass valve, the at least one valve, and the aspiration pump;
• providing pulsed fluid flow from a distal end to a proximal end of the aspiration channel, the distal end of the aspiration channel in fluid communication with an interior of a kidney;
• measuring a pressure value in the interior of the kidney;
• determining, with the controller, whether the measured pressure value is less than a first pressure threshold;
• and
• based on the comparison, send a control command to at least one of the bypass valve, the at least one valve, and the aspiration pump;
• wherein the at least one valve includes a first valve disposed on the aspiration channel between the bypass channel and the aspiration pump and a second valve, the second valve disposed on the aspiration channel between the bypass channel and the distal end of the aspiration channel;
• and
• wherein the controller is configured to implement the pulsed flow of the fluid by sending a control command to close the first valve for a predetermined time duration τ1 and close the second valve for a predetermined time duration τ2 in repetitive cycles, where τ1 and τ2 are separated by a predetermined time period t and each cycle is of a time period T.