Tapered multi-chamber balloon

• US 20070129749A1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Thomas, Kory
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/194
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1059 having different inflatable sections mainly depending on the response to the inflation pressure, e.g. due to different material properties with different compartments A61M2025/1072
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1072 having balloons with two or more compartments
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1002 characterised by balloon shape A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1011 Multiple balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10185 Valves

Abstract

A catheter for carotid artery dilatation that includes a multi-chamber balloon assembly mounted at the distal end of the elongated tube that has at least two tandem chambers. Each chamber communicates with a separate lumen and each separate lumen terminates at the proximal end at a lumen valve head. The chambers have an inflated configuration with a diameter that progressively tapers in a direction from proximal to distal, said taper extends substantially continuously from the proximal end of the balloon assembly to the distal end thereof.

Claims

1. A catheter comprising

an elongated tube having proximal and distal ends and a plurality of lumens therethrough;

a multi-chamber balloon assembly mounted at the distal end of the elongated tube comprising at least two tandem chambers, each chamber communicating with a separate lumen and each separate lumen terminating at the proximal end at a lumen valve;

each chamber having an inflated configuration with a diameter that progressively tapers in a direction from proximal to distal, said taper extending substantially continuously from the proximal end of the balloon assembly to the distal end thereof.

2. A catheter as in claim 1 further comprising a lumen valve control for the lumen valve that provides the operator at least an inflation sequence wherein the balloon chambers are sequentially inflated from the chamber located most distally on the catheter to the chamber located most proximally on the catheter.

3. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein the multi-chamber balloon assembly has at least three tandem chambers.

4. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein the multi-chamber balloon assembly has three tandem chambers and each chamber has a length in the range of from about 0.75 to about 1.75 cm.

5. A catheter as in claim 4 wherein the balloon assembly tapers from a greatest diameter of about 10 mm at the proximal end of the most proximal chamber to a least diameter of about 4 mm at the distal end of the most distal chamber.

6. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein the balloon material employed to form each of the chambers is the same.

7. A catheter as in claim 6 wherein the balloon material is a semi-compliant plastic material.

8. A method of dilating a carotid artery near a bifurcation between a common carotid artery 15 (CCA) and internal carotid artery, the method comprising

deploying a balloon catheter having proximal and distal ends and a plurality of lumens therethrough through the common carotid artery and into the internal carotid artery, wherein

the catheter comprises a multi-chamber balloon assembly mounted at the distal end of the elongated tube comprising at least two tandem chambers, each chamber communicating with a separate lumen and each separate lumen terminating at the proximal end at a lumen valve head, and each chamber has an inflated configuration with a diameter that progressively tapers in a direction from proximal to distal, said taper extending substantially continuously from the proximal end of the balloon assembly to the distal end thereof,

so that balloon assembly most proximal chamber of the balloon assembly crosses the bifurcation between the common carotid artery and the internal carotid artery, and

inflating the chambers sequentially from the most distal chamber and then proceeding proximally until the desired dilation has been achieved.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the multi-chamber balloon assembly has at least three tandem chambers.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the dilatation is completed without inflation of at least the most proximal chamber of the balloon assembly.

11. A method as in claim 8 wherein the multi-chamber balloon assembly has three tandem chambers and each chamber has a length in the range of from about 0.75 to about 1.75 cm.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein the balloon assembly tapers from a greatest diameter of about 10 mm at the proximal end of the most proximal chamber to a least diameter of about 4 mm at the distal end of the most distal chamber.

13. A method as in claim 8 wherein the balloon has a semi-compliant inflation profile.