Method and apparatus for treatment of intracranial hemorrhages
AssigneeEkos Corporation
InventorsRobert L. Wilcox, Ronald L. Haas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ultrasound catheter with fluid delivery lumens, fluid evacuation lumens and a light source is used for the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhages. After the catheter is inserted into a blood clot in the brain, a lytic drug can be delivered to the blood clot via the fluid delivery lumens while applying ultrasonic energy to the treatment site. As the blood clot is dissolved, the liquefied blood clot can be removed by evacuation through the fluid evacuation lumens.
Claims30
A method for treating a blood clot resulting from an intracranial hemorrhage comprising:
- forming a hole in a patient's skull;
- positioning at least a portion of a treatment portion of a catheter of into the blood clot;
- delivering a therapeutic compound to the blood clot through a fluid delivery lumen in the catheter;
- activating an ultrasound element in a treatment portion of the catheter;
- and
- evacuating a fluid around the treatment portion into the elongate tubular body.
A method for treating a blood clot in a patient comprising:
- advancing a ultrasound catheter into an external ventricular drainage (EVD) catheter;
- and
- transmitting ultrasound energy with the ultrasound catheter.
A method for treating a blood clot in a patient comprising:
- forming a hole in a patient's skull;
- advancing an external ventricular drainage (EVD) catheter through the hole to into a target in a patient's brain;
- advancing a ultrasound catheter into the external ventricular drainage (EVD) catheter;
- and
- transmitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.