Helical spiral balloon catheter

• US 5,383,856 A
• Filed: 03/19/1993
• Issued: 01/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert M. Bersin
• Original Assignee: Robert M. Bersin
• Inventors: Bersin, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANOVER, PERRY
• Application Number:
  US08/037,566
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93, 604/95, 604/96, 604/97, 604/98, 604/99, 604/101, 604/102, 604/103, 604/104, 606/191, 606/192, 606/194, 606/195
• US Class Current: 604/101.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1072 having balloons with two or more compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1002 characterised by balloon shape A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

A balloon catheter device designed to be especially well suited to repair or tack dissections in a blood vessel, and a method for repairing dissections, are provided, wherein the balloon catheter has a central support tube or lumen, and has, near a distal end of the catheter, a plurality of inflatable balloon elements extending along the catheter in helical patterns, with the balloon elements are spaced equidistantly around the central support tube. The catheter thus provides the ability to apply pressure, by way of the inflated balloon elements, to tack a dissection flap against the wall of the blood vessel under repair, while at the same time preserving blood flow in the blood vessel past the catheter as well as in side branch blood vessels extending from the blood vessel under repair. The helical or spiral configuration of the balloon elements provides the device with contact or bearing surfaces which closely approximates the path of spiral dissections which are known to occur in blood vessels.

Claims

1. A method for repairing a dissection in an inner wall of a blood vessel in a patient comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a catheter comprising an elongated support tube having distal and proximal ends, said support tube defining a central lumen, a radially expandable balloon means carried by and integrally connected to said support tube adjacent the distal end thereof, and means for expanding and contracting said balloon means, said balloon means comprising at least two spiral-shaped balloon elements extending helically around said support tube along a predetermined length of said support tube;

(b) inserting said distal end of said catheter into a cardiovascular system of said patient with said balloon means in an unexpanded condition;

(c) advancing said catheter within said cardiovascular system until said balloon means is situated in the region having the dissection needing repair;

(d) orienting said catheter such that a first one of said at least two balloon elements is positioned to overlie said dissection;

(e) expanding said balloon means to bring said first one of said balloon elements into intimate contact with said blood vessel dissection, and to bring each other of said at least two balloon elements into intimate contact with said blood vessel, while permitting the patient'"'"'s blood to flow past the balloon means through open paths left between said balloon elements, and permitting the patient'"'"'s blood to flow to unobstructed side branches in the region in which the balloon means is disposed;

(f) retaining said balloon elements in said expanded condition for a length of time sufficient to tack said dissection substantially permanently into place along an inner wall of said blood vessel;

(g) contracting the balloon means; and

(h) withdrawing said catheter from the body of said patient.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said balloon means comprises only two balloon elements, and said two balloon elements extend in diametrically opposed helical paths along said support tube.

3. A dissection repair balloon catheter comprising:

a central support tube;

a plurality of balloon elements disposed at a distal end of said central support tube;

each of said plurality of balloon elements having a longitudinal extent, each of said plurality of balloon elements winding around said central support tube in a helical pattern, wherein said plurality of balloon elements are spaced equidistantly around a circumference of said central support tube; and

means fluidly coupled to said balloon elements for expanding said balloon elements into contact with an inner wall of a blood vessel of a patient when said catheter and said balloon elements are in a desired position within said blood vessel; and

means for returning said balloons to an unexpanded condition.

4. A dissection repair balloon catheter as recited in claim 3, wherein said plurality of balloon elements consists of only two balloon elements disposed in diametrically opposed helical patterns.

5. A dissection repair balloon catheter as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of balloon elements is bonded to said central support tube along substantially an entire length of said balloon.

6. A dissection repair balloon catheter as recited in claim 3, further comprising a guide wire removably housed within said central support tube.