Positionable Valvuloplasty Catheter
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a balloon catheter is provided for use during annuloplasty. Preferably, the balloon includes a distal, noncompliant portion and a proximal semi-compliant portion which allows for sequential inflation, reliable positioning, and compliance measurement.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. -4. (canceled)
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5. A method of operating a balloon catheter comprising:
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A. advancing a balloon catheter to a valve, said balloon catheter having a balloon disposed at a distal end of an elongated shaft, said balloon having a distal bulb, a proximal bulb, and a waist located between said distal bulb and said proximal bulb, said distal bulb being positioned upstream of an annulus of the valve, B. said distal balloon being formed from a noncompliant material, said proximal bulb being formed from a semi-compliant material, C. inflating said balloon to a first pressure ranging from zero to 0.5 atmospheres to inflate said distal bulb to a fully inflated distal bulb diameter, said proximal bulb having a smaller diameter than said fully inflated distal bulb diameter, D. positioning said distal bulb adjacent to an upstream side of an annulus of the valve, E. further inflating said balloon to a second pressure that is larger than said first pressure thereby expanding said proximal bulb to a fully inflated proximal bulb diameter, said proximal bulb expanding against leaflets of the valve, F. said fully inflated proximal bulb diameter and said fully inflated distal bulb diameter being larger than a waist diameter. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a balloon catheter comprising:
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A. advancing a balloon catheter to a valve, said balloon catheter having a balloon disposed at a distal end of an elongated shaft, said balloon having a distal bulb, a proximal bulb, and a waist located between said distal bulb and said proximal bulb, said distal bulb being positioned upstream of an annulus of the valve, B. said distal balloon being formed from a noncompliant material, said proximal bulb being formed from a material that is more compliant than said noncompliant material of said distal bulb, C. inflating said distal bulb to a first pressure of zero atmospheres;
said distal bulb forming a fully inflated distal bulb diameter, said distal bulb having a larger distal bulb diameter than a first diameter of said proximal bulb at said first pressure;D. positioning said balloon such that said distal bulb is in contact with an upstream side of an annulus of said valve, E. inflating said proximal bulb to a second pressure that is higher than said first pressure, said proximal bulb forming a second diameter that is larger than said first diameter, F. inflating said waist to said second pressure, said waist having a fully inflated waist diameter that is smaller than said fully inflated distal bulb diameter and smaller than said second diameter of said proximal bulb. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method of operating a balloon catheter comprising:
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A. advancing a balloon catheter to a valve, said balloon catheter having a balloon disposed at a distal end of an elongated shaft, said balloon having a distal bulb, a proximal bulb, and a waist located between said distal bulb and said proximal bulb, said distal bulb being positioned upstream of an annulus of the valve, B. said distal balloon being formed from a noncompliant material, C. inflating said distal bulb to a first pressure of zero atmospheres;
said distal bulb forming a fully inflated distal bulb diameter, said distal bulb having a larger distal bulb diameter than a first diameter of said proximal bulb at said first pressure;D. positioning said balloon such that said distal bulb contacts an upstream side of an annulus of said valve, E. inflating said proximal bulb to a second pressure that is higher than said first pressure to contact and dilate leaflets of a valve, F. inflating said waist to said second pressure, said waist having a fully inflated waist diameter that is smaller than said fully inflated distal bulb diameter.
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Specification