Reinforced balloon catheter

• US 4,448,195 A
• Filed: 05/08/1981
• Issued: 05/15/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Devices Development Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eric G. Leveen, Harry H. Leveen, Robert F. Leveen
• Inventors: LeVeen, Robert F., LeVeen, Harry H., LeVeen, Eric G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US06/261,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 128/344, 128/348, 128/349 B, 128/348.1, 128/303.11, 128/303.12, 128/325, 128/658, 604/164, 604/170, 604/280, 604/282, 604/96-103
• US Class Current: 606/194
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

A balloon catheter is formed by blow molding an elongated polyurethane tube so that one section of the tube has a thinned cross sectional balloon area between the distal end of tube which is sealed and its open proximal end. The balloon portion which is positioned adjacent the distal end has a thinner cross sectional area which allows a balloon to be formed if a fluid is introduced into the catheter by a syringe apparatus which is adapted to be attached to the lumen by a connection adaptor. A wire guide member is adapted to be inserted through the lumen for stretching the catheter when it is inserted into a blood vessel to stiffen the catheter and position it in a proper position. The wire guide member may also be mitred at predetermined intervals to determine the position of the catheter within the blood vessel.

Claims

1. An expandable balloon catheter comprising an elongate flexible cylindrical tube having proximal and distal ends, said tube defining an inflation lumen means within said tube, said lumen means being sealed at said distal end and open at said proximal end of said tube, said tube including a unitary balloon portion adjacent to and spaced apart from said distal end, said balloon portion of said tube being thinner than the remaining portion of said tube, and a woven reinforcing structure combined with said remaining portion of said tube, said woven reinforcing structure overlapping opposite ends of said balloon portion to reinforce the remaining portion of the tube onto the balloon portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tube is formed from polyurethane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a connection adaptor is fixed to the proximal end of said tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said woven reinforcing structure is a netting of glass fibers within said tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said woven reinforcing structure is a braided wire.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, including metal banding surrounding said tube on opposite ends of said balloon portion of said tube to indicate the length of the balloon portion.

7. A unitary blow-molded expandable balloon catheter comprising an elongated hollow tube with an external diameter no greater than the internal diameter of a human blood vessel into which it is to be inserted, said tube provided with an inflation lumer, a sealed distal end for insertion into said human blood vessel, and an open proximal end for connection to inflation means and tensioning means, said tube defining an inflatable balloon comprising a unitary portion of said tube adjacent to and spaced apart from said distal end, said balloon being of predetermined length and of lesser tube wall thickness than that of said tube between said balloon and said proximal end and between said balloon and said distal end, and said elongated hollow tube between said balloon and said proximal end and between said balloon and said distal end being composed of an elastomeric polymer containing a woven fibrous reinforcement material to reinforce these portions of the tube onto the balloon portion.