# US 6,001,069 A · Ultrasound catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,001,069 A - Document ID: US6001069A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 09/071,285 - Filed: 1998-05-01 - Granted: 1999-12-14 - Earliest claimed: 1998-05-01 - Assignees: Ekos Corporation - Inventors: Katsuro Tachibana; Douglas R. Hansmann; James R. Anderson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6001069A ## CPC - A61M 25/007: {Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked} - A61B 17/22012: {in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement (for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245)} - A61B 2017/22021: {electric leads passing through the catheter} - A61B 2017/22084: {stone- or thrombus-dissolving} - A61M 37/0092: {using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis} - A61M 2205/058: with ultrasound therapy - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A catheter for use in a vessel of a body is disclosed. The catheter includes an elongated body and a plurality of ultrasound elements coupled to the elongated body. Each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body, comprising: an elongated body having a lumen coupled with a drug delivery port through which a drug within the lumen can exit the lumen; and a plurality of ultrasound elements coupled to the elongated body where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element and at least two of the ultrasound elements are positioned on opposite sides of the drug delivery port and close enough to the drug delivery port that a drug delivered from the drug delivery port is exposed to ultrasound energy delivered from at least one of the ultrasound elements, the delivered drug and ultrasound energy providing the therapeutic effect to the vessel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The catheter of claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned to detect the temperature of a surface of an ultrasound element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The catheter of claim 2, further comprising: a feedback control system configured to adjust a level of ultrasound delivered from the plurality of ultrasound elements in response to a signal from the temperature sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of temperature sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, further comprising: a feedback control system for adjusting a level of ultrasound delivered from a particular ultrasound elements in response to a signal from a particular temperature sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: at least one second drug delivery port coupled with the lumen. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The catheter of claim 7, wherein the at least one second drug delivery port is positioned between adjacent ultrasound elements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The catheter of claim 7, further comprising: a second lumen extending through the catheter; and at least one second drug delivery port coupled with the second lumen to deliver a drug from the second lumen to the vessel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, further comprising: a flexibility providing structure positioned between a two of the plurality of ultrasound elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The catheter of claim 10, wherein the flexibility providing structure is at least one rib. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The catheter of claim 10, wherein the flexibility providing structure is a braided material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The catheter of claim 10, wherein the flexibility providing structure is a mesh material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein a first portion of each ultrasound element is coupled with a common wire and a second portion of each ultrasound element is coupled with a different wire. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound elements are connected in series. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound elements are connected in parallel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of temperature sensors are connected through a common wire. ### Claim 18 A catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body, comprising: an elongated body having a lumen coupled with a drug delivery port through which a drug within the lumen can exit the lumen; a plurality of ultrasound elements coupled to the elongated body where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element and at least two of the ultrasound elements are positioned on opposite sides of the drug delivery port; and close enough to the drug delivery port that a drug delivered from the drug delivery port is exposed to ultrasound energy delivered from at least one of the ultrasound elements, the delivered drug and ultrasound energy providing the therapeutic effect to the vessel; and a flexibility providing structure positioned between two ultrasound elements among the plurality of ultrasound elements. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The catheter of claim 18, wherein the flexibility providing structure is at least one rib. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The catheter of claim 18, wherein the flexibility providing structure is a braided material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The catheter of claim 18, wherein the flexibility providing structure is a mesh material. ### Claim 22 A catheter for providing a therapeutic effect to a vessel of a body, comprising: an elongated body having a lumen coupled with a plurality of drug delivery ports through which a drug within the lumen can exit the lumen; a plurality of ultrasound elements coupled to the elongated body where each of the plurality of ultrasound elements is separated from an adjacent ultrasound element and is close enough to one of plurality of drug delivery ports that a drug delivered from the drug delivery port is exposed to ultrasound energy delivered from the ultrasound element, the delivered drug and ultrasound energy providing the therapeutic effect to the vessel.