Reinforced monorail balloon catheter

• US 20010011180A1
• Filed: 02/19/2001
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ave Connaught
• Original Assignee: Ave Connaught
• Inventors: Gilson, Paul, Fitzmaurice, Thomas K., Duane, Patrick J. E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,605,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/194
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0183 Rapid exchange or monorail catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1079 having radio-opaque markers in the region of the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

The invention is a dilation catheter which comprises an elongated catheter shaft, a guide wire tube, and an angioplasty balloon. The distal end of the balloon is attached to the distal portion of the guide wire tube, and the proximal portion of the balloon is attached to the distal portion of the catheter shaft. A stiffening wire is attached to the inner wall of the catheter shaft at a plurality of points along its length. The distal extremity of the guide wire tube is decreased in size relative to the proximal portion of the guide wire tube. A fluid is contained within the guide wire lumen.

Claims

1. A dilatation catheter comprising an elongated catheter shaft having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall surrounding a central lumen,

a guide wire tube having an outer surface and an inner surface surrounding a guide wire lumen for receiving a guide wire extending through at least the distal portion of the catheter shaft, with a fluid channel between the outer surface of the guide wire tube and the inner wall of the catheter shaft,

a balloon having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end being attached to the distal portion of the catheter shaft, and the distal end being attached to the distal portion of the guide wire tube, the fluid channel serving as an inflation/deflation lumen for the balloon, wherein

the guide wire lumen has a distal portion of a first diameter and a proximal portion of a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the length of the distal portion and the first diameter being selected such that when a guide wire is within the guide wire lumen, blood is substantially prevented from entering the proximal portion, but a less viscous anticoagulant in the proximal portion can coat the surface of the guide wire within the distal portion of the guide wire lumen.

2. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 1

wherein the outer diameter of the distal portion of the guide wire tube is smaller than the outer diameter of the proximal portion of the guide wire tube.

3. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 1

wherein the proximal portion of the guide wire lumen is adapted to receive an anticoagulant solution.

4. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 3

wherein the anticoagulant solution is a heparin/saline mixture.

5. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 1

further comprising a stiffening wire positioned within the catheter shaft.

6. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 5

wherein the stiffening wire is attached to the inner wall of the catheter shaft at at least two spaced locations.

7. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 6

wherein a plurality of wire tacks are used to attach the stiffening wire to the inner wall of the catheter shaft at the spaced locations.

8. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 6

wherein a plurality of sleeves are used to attach the stiffening wire to the inner wall of the catheter shaft at the spaced locations.

9. The dilatation catheter as in

claim 5

wherein the stiffening wire is made of MP35N alloy.

10. A monorail dilatation catheter comprising an elongated catheter shaft having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface surrounding a central lumen,

a guide wire tube having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface surrounding a guide wire lumen for receiving a guide wire, the guide wire tube extending from an exchange joint in the shaft through the distal portion of the catheter shaft, with a fluid channel between the outer surface of the guide wire tube and the inner surface of the catheter shaft,

a balloon connected at its distal end to the distal portion of the guide wire tube and at its proximal end to the distal portion of the catheter shaft, the fluid channel serving as an inflation/deflation lumen for the balloon, and

a stiffening wire positioned within the proximal shaft and attached thereto at at least two spaced apart locations.

11. The monorail dilatation catheter as described in

claim 10

wherein the stiffening wire has plastic attachment means associated therewith at the spaced apart locations, the attachment means being thermally bonded to the shaft.

12. The monorail dilatation catheter as described in

claim 11

wherein the plastic attachment means are wire tacks.

13. The monorail dilatation catheter as described in

claim 11

wherein the plastic attachment means are sleeves.

14. The monorail dilatation catheter as described in

claim 11

wherein the stiffening wire is made of MP35N alloy.