CATHETER, A BALLOON CATHETER AND A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION OF A STOMA
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Accused Products
Abstract
A balloon catheter (1) comprises a catheter (2) and a balloon (6) located on the distal end of the catheter. A pair of stimulating electrodes (15) for receiving a constant current stimulating signal when the balloon (6) is inflated with an electrically conductive medium and a plurality of sensing electrodes (16) for producing voltage response signals are located on the catheter (2). The voltage response signals are indicative of the values of the transverse cross-sectional area of the balloon (6) adjacent the sensing electrodes (16). A first lumen <9) accommodates the inflating medium to and from the balloon (6), and a second lumen (19) accommodates electrically conductive wires (18) to the stimulating and sensing electrodes (15,16). A pressure sensing dement (21) is located in a protective housing (22) in the second lumen (19), and communicates through a communicating opening (26) in the protective housing (22) and through a communicating port (24) in the catheter (2) with a hollow interior region (7) of the balloon (6).
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Citations
221 Claims
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1-201. -201. (canceled)
- 202. A balloon catheter comprising an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, an inflatable element defining a hollow interior region located on the catheter, a first lumen extending along the catheter from the proximal end to the inflatable element communicating with the inflatable element for accommodating an inflating medium to the inflatable element, a pressure sensing element communicating with the hollow interior region of the inflatable element for sensing pressure of an inflating medium in the inflatable element, the pressure sensing element being located in a chamber formed in a protective housing located adjacent the inflatable element, the protective housing having a communicating opening communicating the pressure sensing element with the hollow interior region of the inflatable element.
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213. A balloon catheter comprising an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, and an inflatable element defining a hollow interior region located on the catheter, a first communicating means for accommodating an inflating medium to the hollow interior region of the inflatable element, a plurality of axially spaced apart measuring electrodes located within the hollow interior region of the inflatable element on one of the catheter and the inflatable element, at least one of the measuring electrodes being a stimulating electrode for receiving a stimulating signal, and a plurality of the measuring electrodes being sensing electrodes, the sensing electrodes being responsive to a stimulating signal being applied to the at least one stimulating electrode when the inflatable element is inflated with an electrically conductive inflating medium for producing response signals indicative of values of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the corresponding sensing electrodes, the axial spacing between at least two of the sensing electrodes being greater than the axial spacing between others of the sensing electrodes to increase the sensitivity with which the value of transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element is determined.
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214. A device for mounting on a catheter externally of the catheter, the device comprising a guide wire engaging means adapted for engaging a guide wire externally of the catheter for guiding of the catheter along the guide wire.
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215. A method for accessing a remote site in a body of a human or animal by a catheter, the method comprising passing a guide wire through a lumen, a vessel or a vascular system in the body to the remote site, providing a catheter with an externally located guide wire engaging means mounted on the catheter, engaging the guide wire engaging means with the guide wire, and urging the catheter with the guide wire engaging means engaged on the guide wire along the guide wire through the lumen, vessel or vascular system in the body to the remote site.
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216. A method for increasing the sensitivity with which a value of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of an inflatable element of a balloon catheter is determined, wherein the balloon catheter comprises an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, and the inflatable element defining a hollow interior region is located on the catheter, a first communicating means being provided for accommodating an inflating medium to the hollow interior region of the inflatable element, a plurality of axially spaced apart measuring electrodes located within the hollow interior region of the inflatable element on one of the catheter and the inflatable element, at least one of the measuring electrodes being a stimulating electrode for receiving a stimulating signal, and a plurality of the measuring electrodes being sensing electrodes on which respective response signals are produced indicative of the value of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the corresponding sensing electrodes in response to a stimulating signal being applied to the at least one stimulating electrode when the inflatable element is inflated with an electrically conductive inflating medium, the method comprising providing at least two of the sensing electrodes adjacent a location at which the transverse cross-section of the inflatable element is to be greatest in use, with an axial spacing therebetween greater than the axial spacing between others of the sensing electrodes to thereby increase the sensitivity with which the value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element is determined adjacent the at least two of the sensing electrodes of the greatest spacing therebetween.
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217. A method for increasing the accuracy with which the pressure of inflating medium in an inflatable element mounted on a catheter of a balloon catheter is determined, wherein the catheter comprises an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, the inflatable element defining a hollow interior region is located on the catheter, and a first lumen extending along the catheter from the proximal end to the inflatable element accommodates an inflating medium to the inflatable element, the method comprising locating a pressure sensing element in a chamber formed in a protective housing located adjacent the inflatable element, the protective housing having a communicating opening communicating the pressure sensing element with the hollow interior region of the inflatable element.
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218. A method for forming a stoma of a desired internal transverse cross-section in a hollow vessel, the method comprising providing a balloon catheter comprising an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, an inflatable element defining a hollow interior region located on the catheter, a measuring means for determining a value of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element, the method further comprising locating the inflatable element in the hollow vessel adjacent a location at which the stoma is to be formed, inflating the inflatable element to a degree that the inflatable element bears on the vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, operating the measuring means to determine the value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, and continuously updating the determined value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element, placing a band around the exterior of the hollow vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, and one of tightening and loosening the band until the determined value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the stoma corresponds with a desired internal transverse cross-section of the stoma.
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219. A method for monitoring the internal transverse cross-section of a stoma as the stoma is being formed in a vessel, the method comprising providing a balloon catheter comprising an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, an inflatable element defining a hollow interior region located on the catheter, a measuring means for determining a value of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element, locating the inflatable element in the hollow vessel adjacent a location at which the stoma is to be formed, inflating the inflatable element to a degree that the inflatable element bears on the vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, operating the measuring means to determine the value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, and continuously updating the value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed.
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220. Apparatus for monitoring the internal transverse cross-section of a stoma in a hollow vessel as the stoma is being formed, the apparatus comprising an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, an inflatable element located on the catheter, the inflatable element being adapted for locating in the vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, a measuring means for determining a value of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element, so that when the inflatable element is located in the vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed with the inflatable element inflated to engage the vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, a value of the transverse cross-sectional dimension corresponding to the internal transverse cross-section of the stoma is determined by the measuring means.
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221. Apparatus for monitoring the internal transverse cross-section of a stoma in a hollow vessel as the stoma is being formed, the apparatus comprising a balloon catheter, the balloon catheter comprising an elongated catheter extending between a proximal end and a distal end, and an inflatable element located on the catheter, the inflatable element being adapted for locating in the hollow vessel adjacent a location at which the stoma is to be formed, at least one stimulating electrode located within the inflatable element on one of the catheter and the inflatable element, and at least one sensing electrode located within the inflatable element axially spaced apart from the stimulating electrode on one of the catheter and the inflatable element, the apparatus further comprising a first inflating means for inflating the inflatable element with an electrically conductive inflating medium to a degree that the inflatable element bears on the vessel adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed, a means for applying a current stimulating signal of known value to the at least one stimulating electrode, a means for reading a response signal from the at least one sensing electrode in response to the stimulating signal applied to the at least one stimulating electrode, a means for computing a value of a transverse cross-sectional dimension of the inflatable element adjacent the location at which the stoma is to be formed from the response signal read from the at least one sensing electrode representative of the internal transverse cross-section of the stoma.
Specification