PTCA catheter
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A PTCA catheter that includes an elongated, hollow catheter body having a distal end and a proximal end;
- a guidewire with a main diameter smaller than the internal diameter of said body;
said guidewire being positioned in said catheter body and having its distal end tapering in multiple steps from said main diameter to a very small diameter flexible tip;
said tip portion extending outwardly of said catheter body for at least two tapered steps;
a flexible coiled spring positioned about said guidewire tip and extending over at least two tapered guidewire steps;
at least one end of said coiled spring being welded to said guidewire;
a plastic sheath secured about said spring and the adjacent portion of said guidewire at the proximal end of said spring;
a thin walled balloon secured at one end about the distal end of said catheter body and at the other end about said plastic sheath covering said spring; and
control means operatively connected to said guidewire at the proximal end thereof for causing the distal tip of said coiled spring to twist and bend to steer the PTCA catheter to the desired artery, and for inflating said balloon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A PTCA catheter is provided in which the extreme distal end is reduced to a diameter of 3 thousandths of an inch and enclosed in a coiled spring which is welded to the guidewire of the catheter at its tip and at a thicker 8 thousandths diameter portion of the guidewire to increase the strength of the tip and reduce breakage when inserted in a coronary artery. A dual lumen catheter body is provided at the proximal end for capturing and actuating the guidewire and for inflating the balloon at the distal end.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A PTCA catheter that includes an elongated, hollow catheter body having a distal end and a proximal end;
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a guidewire with a main diameter smaller than the internal diameter of said body; said guidewire being positioned in said catheter body and having its distal end tapering in multiple steps from said main diameter to a very small diameter flexible tip; said tip portion extending outwardly of said catheter body for at least two tapered steps; a flexible coiled spring positioned about said guidewire tip and extending over at least two tapered guidewire steps; at least one end of said coiled spring being welded to said guidewire; a plastic sheath secured about said spring and the adjacent portion of said guidewire at the proximal end of said spring; a thin walled balloon secured at one end about the distal end of said catheter body and at the other end about said plastic sheath covering said spring; and control means operatively connected to said guidewire at the proximal end thereof for causing the distal tip of said coiled spring to twist and bend to steer the PTCA catheter to the desired artery, and for inflating said balloon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
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13. A device as described in cl-aim 1 wherein said balloon is adhesively and thermally sealed to the distal end of said plastic sheath approximately 2 centimeters from the distal end of said coiled spring member.
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15. The method of manufacturing a PTCA catheter that includes the steps of:
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forming first and second reduced diameter sections adjacent each other in the distal end of a guidewire;
inserting said 1st and 2nd reduced sections into a coiled spring member;welding said coiled spring to said guidewire at each end thereof; enclosing said spring in a plastic sheath; sealing said sheath about said guidewire at the proximal end of said spring; inserting said guidewire into a catheter body having proximal and distal ends with said reduced diameter sections extending from the distal end of said catheter body; forming a thin walled tubular balloon about the distal end of said catheter body and at least one of said reduced diameter sections of said spring and sheath covered guidewire; sealing one end of said tubular balloon about the distal end of said catheter body; sealing the other end of said tubular balloon to the sheath enclosing said spring at a point spaced from the distal end of said spring; joining manipulating means to the proximal end of said catheter body; and securing the proximal end of said guidewire to said manipulating means.
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Specification