Dilator for opening the lumen of a tubular organ
First Claim
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1. A dilator for opening the lumen of a tubular organ comprising:
- an elongated flexible expansion member of a material having a negative Poisson ratio;
means for guiding said expansion member through the lumen to a desired location by manipulation of said guide means exteriorly of said lumen; and
means for stretching said expansion member lengthwise whereby due to the negative Poisson ratio of said member, said member expands transversely of the length of said expansion member.
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Abstract
A dilator is disclosed for use in opening the lumen of a tubular organ utilizing a expansion member made of a material having a negative Poisson ratio such as polytetrafluorethylene. The negative Poisson ratio of the expansion member enables the member, when stretched, to expand radially outwardly rather than thinning in a radial direction to perform useful work in opening the lumen in a tubular organ such as in performing coronary angioplasty.
51 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A dilator for opening the lumen of a tubular organ comprising:
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an elongated flexible expansion member of a material having a negative Poisson ratio; means for guiding said expansion member through the lumen to a desired location by manipulation of said guide means exteriorly of said lumen; and means for stretching said expansion member lengthwise whereby due to the negative Poisson ratio of said member, said member expands transversely of the length of said expansion member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 9)
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3. The dilator of claim wherein said elongated flexible expansion member has a distal end and a proximal end;
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said guide means includes a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end with the distal end coupled to the proximal end of said expansion member and being of sufficient length that the proximal end of said catheter extends exteriorly of said lumen when said expansion member is positioned at the desired location in said lumen and a guide wire extending through said catheter having a distal end coupled to the distal end of said expansion member and having a proximal end extending from the proximal end of said catheter; and said stretching means including means coupled to the proximal ends of said catheter and said guide wire for moving said guide wire longitudinally through said catheter whereby said expansion member is stretched upon movement of said guide wire toward the distal end of said expansion member. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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10. A dilator for performing angioplasty comprising:
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an elongated flexible expansion member of a material having a negative Poisson ratio having proximal and distal ends; a tubular elongated flexible outer member having proximal and distal ends with said distal end coupled to the proximal end of said expansion member; and an elongated flexible inner member extending through said outer member and having proximal and distal ends with the distal end coupled to said expansion member near the distal end thereof and with the proximal end projecting from the proximal end of said outer member; said outer and inner members being of sufficient length to extend through a patient'"'"'s vascular system from an opening therein to a location in need of treatment to position said expansion member at said location; means for moving said inner member longitudinally within said outer member in a direction toward the distal end thereof to stretch said expansion member longitudinally whereby said member expands transversely due to the negative Poisson ratio of said expansion member. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification