Balloon catheter with molded stepped balloon

• US 20070213663A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Lixiao
• Application Number:
  US11/726,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213663A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/96.10
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1075 having a balloon composed of several layers, e.g. by coating or embedding
• 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 25/1029 Production methods of the balloon members, e.g. blow-moulding, extruding, deposition or by wrapping a plurality of layers of balloon material around a mandril
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

A balloon catheter suitable for deploying a stent utilizes a balloon molded with a stepped diameter profile.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A balloon catheter for use in vascular anatomy, the balloon catheter comprising:

a catheter body, the catheter body being movably disposed about a guidewire; and

a balloon positioned at a distal portion of the catheter body, the balloon including a balloon outer skin, the balloon having a first section with a first average diameter, and second section with a second average diameter that is smaller than the first average diameter, the first and second sections being coupled by a transition section that has a geometry and diameter transitioning between the first section and the second section.

12. The catheter of claim 11, further comprising:

a radiopaque marker positioned at the balloon.

13. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the balloon is made of any suitable polymer, non-polymer or composite material thereof.

14. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the first average diameter is substantially the same along an entire length of the first section.

15. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the second average diameter is substantially the same along an entire length of the second section.

16. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the first section is tapered.

17. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the second section is tapered.

18. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein a radiopaque marker is positioned at a proximal section of the balloon.

19. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein a radiopaque marker is positioned at a distal portion of the balloon.

20. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the catheter body is part of an over-the-wire catheter system.

21. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the catheter body is part of a rapid-exchange catheter system.

22. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the balloon catheter is configure for use in an angioplasty application in a vessel with a stenting procedure.

23. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the balloon catheter is configure for use in an angioplasty application in a vessel without a stenting procedure.

24. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the balloon catheter is configured for use with a stent for a stent delivery application.

25. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the balloon catheter is used as a stent delivery system with a stent designed for any vascular anatomy.

26. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the first section has a larger length than a length of the second section.

27. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein a length of the second is greater than a length of the first section.

28. The balloon catheter of claim 11, wherein the lengths of the first and second sections are about the same.

29. An angioplasty balloon catheter for use in vascular anatomy, comprising:

an angioplasty catheter body, the catheter body being movably disposed about a guidewire; and

a tubular balloon coupled to a distal end of the angioplasty catheter body and including, a shaped balloon skin, the balloon having a shaped outer geometry and size to reduce vessel damage when positioned at a point of a vessel.

30. The balloon catheter of claim 29, further comprising:

a radiopaque marker positioned at the tubular balloon.

31. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the balloon is made of any suitable polymer, non-polymer or composite material thereof.

32. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the balloon includes a first section with a first average diameter, and a second section with a second average diameter.

33. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein the first average diameter is substantially the same along an entire length of the first section.

34. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein the second average diameter is substantially the same along an entire length of the second section.

35. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the first section is tapered.

36. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the second section is tapered.

37. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein a radiopaque marker is positioned at a proximal section of the balloon.

38. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein a radiopaque marker is positioned at a distal portion of the balloon.

39. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the catheter body is part of an over-the-wire catheter system.

40. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the catheter body is part of a rapid-exchange catheter system.

41. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the balloon catheter is configure for use in an angioplasty application in a vessel with a stenting procedure.

42. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the balloon catheter is configure for use in an angioplasty application in a vessel without a stenting procedure.

43. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the balloon catheter is configured for use with a stent for a stent delivery application.

44. The balloon catheter of claim 29, wherein the balloon catheter is used as a stent delivery system with a stent designed for any vascular anatomy.

45. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein the first section has a larger length than a length of the second section.

46. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein a length of the second is greater than a length of the first section.

47. The balloon catheter of claim 32, wherein the lengths of the first and second sections are about the same.

48. A stent delivery device, comprising:

a catheter body, the catheter body being movably disposed about a guidewire;

a balloon positioned at a distal portion of the catheter body, the balloon including a balloon outer skin, the balloon having a first section with a first average diameter, and second section with a second average diameter that is smaller than the first average diameter, the first and second sections being coupled by a transition section that has a geometry and diameter transitioning between the first section and the second section; and

a vascular stent positioned on an exterior of the balloon exterior.

49. The device of claim 48, further comprising:

a radiopaque marker positioned at the balloon.

50. The device of claim 48, wherein the balloon is made of any suitable polymer, non-polymer or composite material thereof.

51. The device of claim 48, wherein the first average diameter is substantially the same along an entire length of the first section.

52. The device of claim 48, wherein the second average diameter is substantially the same along an entire length of the second section.

53. The device of claim 48, wherein at least a portion of the first section is tapered.

54. The device of claim 48, wherein at least a portion of the second section is tapered.

55. The device of claim 48, wherein a radiopaque marker is positioned at a proximal section of the balloon.

56. The device of claim 48, wherein a radiopaque marker is positioned at a distal portion of the balloon.

57. The device of claim 48, wherein the catheter body is part of an over-the-wire catheter system.

58. The device of claim 48, wherein the catheter body is part of a rapid-exchange catheter system.

59. The device of claim 48, wherein the device is used for any vascular anatomy.

60. The device of claim 48, wherein the first section has a larger length than a length of the second section.

61. The device of claim 48, wherein a length of the second is greater than a length of the first section.

62. The device of claim 48, wherein the lengths of the first and second sections are about the same.

63. A method of treating vascular anatomy, comprising:

providing a catheter that includes a balloon with a transition section that couples a first section with a second section, the transition section having a geometry and diameter transitioning from a greater diameter of the first section to a lesser diameter the second section;

mounting a stent in a non-expanded state on an exterior of the balloon;

positioning the catheter with the stent in a non-expanded state at a region of the vascular anatomy;

inflating the balloon and deploying the stent in an expanded state at the region of vascular anatomy; and

removing the catheter from the vascular anatomy.