Intravascular Sono-Ablation for In-Stent Restenosis Relief: Transducer Development and the In-Vitro Demonstration

This study aimed to propose a new clinical modality for the relief of in-stent restenosis (ISR) using focused ultrasound (FUS) ablation. In the first research stage, a miniaturized FUS device was developed for the sonification of the remaining plaque after stenting, known as one of the causes of ISR.

This study presents a miniaturized (<2.8 mm) intravascular FUS transducer for ISR treatment. The performance of the transducer was predicted through a structural-acoustic simulation, followed by fabrication of the prototype device. Using the prototype FUS transducer, we demonstrated tissue ablation with bio-tissues over metallic stents, mimicking in-stent tissue ablation. Next, we conducted a safety test by detecting the existence of thermal damage to the arterial tissue upon sonication with a controlled dose.

The prototype device successfully delivered sufficient acoustic intensity (>30 W/cm²) to a bio tissue (chicken breast) through a metallic stent. The ablation volume was approximately 3.9 × 7.8 × 2.6 mm³. Furthermore, 1.5 min sonication was sufficient to obtain an ablating depth of approximately 1.0 mm, not thermally damaging the underlying artery vessel.

We demonstrated in-stent tissue sonoablation, suggesting it could be as a future ISR treatment modality.

Comprehensive test results provide a key understanding of FUS applications using metallic stents. Furthermore, the developed device can be used for sonoablation of the remaining plaque, providing a novel approach to the treatment of ISR.