Johnson & Johnson said this week it launched the Shockwave Javelin intravascular lithotripsy catheter in Europe to treat patients with peripheral artery disease.

The device, which uses sound pressure waves to break up calcium deposits in extremely narrowed vessels, is designed to address technical barriers in complex cases.

The Javelin platform, which includes a catheter with a single lithotripsy emitter placed behind the tip of the device, has a similar safety and effectiveness profile to balloon-based Shockwave IVL catheters, J&J said.