Embolectomy catheter, and method of operating same
First Claim
1. An inflatable balloon-type catheter for use in performing an embolectomy, comprising:
- an elongated catheter having a distal end adapted to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s blood vessel, and having a proximal end adapted to remain outside the patient'"'"'s body;
a plurality of fingers having first ends mounted on a distal marginal end portion of said catheter in circumferentially-spaced relation to one another, said fingers having respective second ends arranged farther from said catheter distal end than said finger first ends, each of said fingers being configured as a leaf-spring and having an unbiased radius of curvature such that said finger second ends will normally be spaced farther radially outwardly from said catheter than said first ends;
a balloon surrounding said fingers and operatively secured to said catheter so that said fingers are arranged within an inflatable chamber defined between said catheter and said balloon; and
pressure control means in communication with the inflatable chamber for selectively varying the absolute pressure within said chamber so as to concomitantly vary the pressure differential across said balloon;
whereby said pressure control means may be operated so as to create one pressure differential across said balloon to cause said finger second ends to move radially toward said catheter, and another pressure differential across said balloon to cause said fingers to move radially away from said catheter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable balloon-type catheter (20) for use in performing an embolectomy, includes an elongated catheter (21) having a distal end (22) adapted to be inserted through an incision into a patient'"'"'s blood vessel (V). A plurality of fingers (24) having first ends (25) are mounted on the distal marginal end portion of the catheter in circumferentially-spaced relation to one another. Each of the fingers has a second end (26) arranged farther from the catheter distal end than the finger first ends. Each of the fingers is configured as a leaf-spring and has an unbiased radius of curvature such that the finger second ends are normally spaced farther radially outwardly than the finger first ends. A balloon (28) surrounds the fingers and is operatively secured to the catheter so that the fingers are arranged with an inflatable chamber (29) defined between the catheter and the balloon. A syringe or squeeze bulb (30) is arranged to selectively vary the absolute pressure within the chamber so as to selectively inflate and deflate the balloon. When inflated, the balloon forms a cup-shaped recess arranged to face the embolism, and to capture portions of the severed embolism (E). In use, the improved apparatus provides a novel method of performing an embolectomy.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An inflatable balloon-type catheter for use in performing an embolectomy, comprising:
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an elongated catheter having a distal end adapted to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s blood vessel, and having a proximal end adapted to remain outside the patient'"'"'s body; a plurality of fingers having first ends mounted on a distal marginal end portion of said catheter in circumferentially-spaced relation to one another, said fingers having respective second ends arranged farther from said catheter distal end than said finger first ends, each of said fingers being configured as a leaf-spring and having an unbiased radius of curvature such that said finger second ends will normally be spaced farther radially outwardly from said catheter than said first ends; a balloon surrounding said fingers and operatively secured to said catheter so that said fingers are arranged within an inflatable chamber defined between said catheter and said balloon; and pressure control means in communication with the inflatable chamber for selectively varying the absolute pressure within said chamber so as to concomitantly vary the pressure differential across said balloon; whereby said pressure control means may be operated so as to create one pressure differential across said balloon to cause said finger second ends to move radially toward said catheter, and another pressure differential across said balloon to cause said fingers to move radially away from said catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. The method of removing an embolism from a blood vessel of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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making an incision in said blood vessel; inserting the distal end of a catheter into said blood vessel through said incision, said catheter having a plurality of fingers mounted on the distal marginal end portion of said catheter in circumferentially-spaced relation to one another, said fingers having respective second ends arranged farther from said distal end than said first ends, each of said fingers being configured as a leaf-spring and having an unbiased radius of curvature such that said finger second ends will normally be spaced farther from said catheter than said finger first ends, said catheter also having a balloon surrounding said fingers and operatively secured to said catheter so as to define an inflatable chamber between said balloon and catheter in which said fingers are arranged; reducing the absolute pressure within said chamber such that the pressure differential across said balloon will cause said finger second ends to move radially toward said catheter; passing said catheter with such deflated balloon through an embolism-to-be-removed; increasing the absolute pressure within said chamber to permit said finger second ends to move away from said catheter; pulling the proximal end of said catheter with such inflated balloon so as to remove said embolism; removing said catheter and separated embolism from said blood vessel; and closing said incision. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. The method of removing an embolism from the blood vessel of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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making an incision in said blood vessel; inserting the distal end of an inflatable balloon-type catheter into said blood vessel through said incision; passing the distal end of said catheter and the deflated balloon through an embolism; inflating said balloon so as to form a cup-shaped annular recess facing toward said embolism; pulling the proximal end of said catheter so as to separate said embolism from said blood vessel; receiving a portion of such separated embolism in said annular recess; withdrawing said embolism and catheter from said blood vessel; and closing said incision. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification