Method and apparatus for patient protection against vessel rupture from balloon-tipped catheters
First Claim
1. A method of safely introducing gas into a catheter balloon in a cavity in a patient, comprising:
- injecting said gas into said catheter balloon until internal balloon pressure reaches a first predetermined level;
preventing pressure above that level in said balloon by relieving gas into a closed void exterior to the patient;
sensing the pressure level of said injected gas; and
indicating if said pressure does not reach a second predetermined level below said first predetermined level.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises a safety inflation apparatus for preventing full inflation of a catheter balloon in a small body cavity of lesser internal diameter than that of the fully-inflated catheter balloon. The present invention includes a safety reservoir which inflates to absorb excess fluid volume from a catheter inflation device (such as a syringe) when the catheter balloon comes into contact with the wall of the small cavity, thereby preventing damage to the cavity wall and injury to the patient. In one embodiment of the invention, sensors and associated electronic displays are employed to provide an indication of the operating state of the system as the catheter balloon is inflated.
98 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of safely introducing gas into a catheter balloon in a cavity in a patient, comprising:
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injecting said gas into said catheter balloon until internal balloon pressure reaches a first predetermined level; preventing pressure above that level in said balloon by relieving gas into a closed void exterior to the patient; sensing the pressure level of said injected gas; and indicating if said pressure does not reach a second predetermined level below said first predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A safety inflation apparatus for use with a catheter including a catheter balloon disposed thereon, said catheter balloon having both a first predetermined inflation threshold pressure and a normal inflated diameter in a substantially externally unconstrained state, said apparatus being adapted to prevent damage to a body cavity of lesser internal diameter than said normal inflated diameter of said balloon when inflation of said catheter balloon within the external constraint of said body cavity is attempted, and said apparatus comprising:
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relief conduit means having fluid inlet means adapted to receive fluid and fluid outlet means adapted to dispense said fluid through said catheter to said catheter balloon within said body cavity; a fluid relief aperture in said conduit means between said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means communicating the interior of said relief conduit means with the exterior thereof; and safety reservoir means preloaded in tension against expansion, in communication with said relief conduit means through said relief aperture, and expandable at a second threshold pressure between that of said catheter balloon in its said substantially unconstrained state and that at which damage to said body cavity would normally result. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification