Intravascular Lithotripsy

Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) delivers unfocused, circumferential, pulsatile mechanical energy to safely disrupt calcium deposits within the target lesion. The IVL catheter is guided to the target lesion and an integrated balloon is inflated to four atmospheres. Once the catheter is in place, an electrical discharge vaporizes fluid inside the balloon. This action creates a rapidly expanding and collapsing bubble, generating sonic pressure waves. The sonic pressure waves travel through soft vascular tissue, cracking the intimal and medial calcium within the vessel wall. The balloon may be used to dilate the target lesion at a low pressure to maximize luminal gain. Angioplasty is included, when performed. Coronary intravascular lithotripsy is used to prepare stenotic, calcified de novo coronary vessels for stent placement. Ultrasound waves are applied intravascularly to selectively breakup calcium deposits to aid with stent placement. The physician treats coronary artery calcification, which is known to hinder other percutaneous coronary interventions, with percutaneous transluminal coronary lithotripsy. This procedure is performed in conjunction with other percutaneous transluminal or transcatheter coronary procedures (angioplasty, atherectomy, stent placement, revascularization of bypass graft or occlusion, or thrombolysis). Following femoral or radial access and using a proprietary intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) device, the physician advances the coronary catheter to the target lesion. An integrated balloon is inflated with fluid at a low pressure to contact the arterial wall. IVL is then activated, creating a small bubble within the catheter balloon that rapidly expands and collapses, resulting in shockwaves that travel through the innermost layer of the vessel wall, where it cracks the calcium by creating microfractures.