Fiber mesh controlled expansion balloon catheter

• US 20060271093A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Jan, Holman, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/194
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1081 having sheaths or the like for covering the balloon but not forming a permanent part of the balloon, e.g. retractable, dissolvable or tearable sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1084 having features for increasing the shape stability, the reproducibility or for limiting expansion, e.g. containments, wrapped around fibres, yarns or strands
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

A medical device having a catheter shaft having a distal portion and a proximal portion, a medical balloon co-axially mounted on the distal portion of the catheter shaft and a tubular mesh wrapped around the balloon, wherein the mesh strengthens and reinforced the balloon and may be manipulation to dictate the shape of the balloon and to squeeze the balloon down onto the catheter shaft during deflation of the balloon.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a catheter shaft having a distal portion and a proximal portion;

an expandable member mounted on the distal portion of the catheter shaft, the expandable member comprising a distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a central portion positioned between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, the expandable member having an expanded state and a contracted state and being expandable from its contracted state to its expanded state;

a mesh member comprising a plurality of strands, the mesh member surrounding the expandable member, having a proximal end and a distal end, and being substantially free-floating over the expandable member; and

a restraining mechanism associated with the mesh, wherein the restraining mechanism continuously applies a longitudinal biasing force on the mesh member when the expandable member is in its expanded state.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein one end of the mesh member is fixed relative to the catheter shaft and the other end of the mesh member is movable relative to the catheter shaft.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the restraining mechanism comprises an elastic member, a portion of the elastic member being fixed relative to the catheter shaft and a portion of the elastic member being connected to the mesh member at the movable end thereof, whereby when the expandable member is in its expanded state, the elastic member exerts a longitudinal force on the mesh.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the individual strands of the mesh member cross other strands at first and second junctures,

at the first junctures the crossing strands are fixed, and at

the second junctures the crossing strands are free to slide relative to each other.

5. The medical device of claim 4, the expandable member being a medical balloon, the medical balloon having a proximal cone, a distal cone and a body portion between the proximal and distal cones, wherein, when the balloon is inflated, the first junctures of the mesh are positioned over at least one annular transition zone where one of the proximal or distal cones joins the body portion of the balloon.

6. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the expandable member is a medical balloon, the medical balloon having a proximal cone, a distal cone and a body portion between the proximal and distal cones, wherein the first junctures of the mesh are positioned over at least one of the proximal and distal cones when the balloon is inflated.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the strands of the mesh member comprise an inelastic material.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the restraining mechanism comprises a loadable spring, a portion of the loadable spring being fixed relative to the catheter shaft and a portion of the loadable spring being connected to the mesh, wherein, when the expandable member is in its expanded state, the loadable spring takes on a load and applies a longitudinal force on the mesh.

9. The medical device of claim 1, the restraining mechanism comprising a first strip, the first strip having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal and distal ends of the first strip are connected to the catheter shaft and wherein the first strip extends longitudinally across the expandable member.

10. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the first strip is connected to the mesh and applies a collapsing force on the expandable member, when the expandable member is in its expanded state.

11. The medical device of claim 10, wherein the first strip is embedded in the mesh material.

12. The medical device of claim 9, the restraining mechanism further comprising a second strip, the second strip having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal and distal ends of the second strip are connected to the catheter shaft and wherein the second strip extends longitudinally across the expandable member.

13. The medical device of claim 1, the restraining mechanism comprising a sliding member, slidably mounted on the catheter shaft, wherein the proximal end of the mesh is connected to the sliding member, the restraining mechanism further comprising a retracting mechanism, wherein the retracting mechanism retracts the sliding member proximally, resulting in a longitudinal force on the mesh.

14. The medical device of claim 13, further comprising a manifold situated at the proximal portion of the catheter shaft, the retracting mechanism comprising a pull back mechanism, the pull back mechanism being connected to the sliding member and being controllable from the manifold.

15. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the pull back mechanism comprises a plurality of pull wires, the pull wires being connected to the sliding member and extending proximately to the manifold.

16. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the pull wires are connected to a tubular membrane over a substantially portion of their length.

17. The medical device of claim 1, wherein an implantable medical device is mounted on the expandable member, such that the mesh is between the medical device and the expandable member.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the implantable medical device is a stent.

19. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the mesh is of one-piece construction.

20. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the mesh is in the shape of a spiral.

21. The medical device of claim 20, wherein adjacent winds of the spiral are connected.

22. A medical device comprising:

a catheter shaft having a distal portion and a proximal portion;

an expandable member, the expandable member being mounted on the distal portion of the catheter shaft, the expandable member comprising a distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a central portion positioned between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, the expandable member having an expanded state and a contracted state, and being expandable from its contracted state to its expanded state; and

a mesh member comprising a plurality of strands, the mesh member surrounding the expandable member, having a proximal end and a distal end, and being substantially free-floating over the expandable member;

wherein

the individual strands of the mesh member cross other strands at first and second junctures, at the first junctures the crossing strands are fixed, and at the second junctures the crossing strands are free to slide relative to each other.

23. The medical device of claim 22, the expandable member being a medical balloon, the medical balloon having a proximal cone, a distal cone and a body portion between the proximal and distal cones, wherein the first junctures of the mesh are positioned over the proximal and distal cones.

24. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the mesh comprises an inelastic material.

25. The medical device of claim 24, the proximal end of the mesh being connected to a restraining mechanism, wherein the restraining mechanism applies a longitudinal force on the mesh.

26. The medical device of claim 23, wherein the portion of the mesh which surrounds the body portion of the balloon is substantially free of first junctures.

27. A medical device comprising:

a catheter shaft having a distal portion and a proximal portion;

an expandable member mounted on the distal portion of the catheter shaft, the expandable member comprising a distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a central portion positioned between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, the expandable member having an expanded state and a contracted state and being expandable from its contracted state to its expanded state; and

a mesh member comprising a plurality of strands, the mesh member surrounding the expandable member, having a proximal end and a distal end, and being substantially free-floating over the expandable member, each strand comprising an plastic deforming strand and an elastic strand.