Multifinger topocatheter tip for multilumen catheter for angioplasty and manipulation
First Claim
1. A device for opening narrow passageways which comprises:
- a catheter having a length and a proximal end and distal end between which ends said length of said catheter extends, said distal end being defined by a terminal end surface of said cathetersaid catheter further having a plurality of internal lumens which extend between said proximal and distal ends; and
a plurality of adjacent inflatable tubes which are attached to said plurality of lumens at said terminal end surface of said distal end of said catheter so as to be independently inflatable beyond said terminal end surface of said distal end of said catheter.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tip design for a multilumen catheter which includes a plurality of inflatable tubes each of which is attached to a lumen at the distal end of the multilumen catheter. The inflatable tubes are normally inverted in their respective lumens, but can be individually everted, inflated, deflated and retracted or inverted back into their lumen by the application of fluid pressure and vacuums at the proximal end of the multilumen catheter. In a procedure to open a constricted passageway one or more of the inflatable tubes can be inverted into the constriction and thereafter inflated to open the passageway. Thereafter, addition inflatable tubes can be inverted into the constriction and inflated to effect further opening of the passageway. In another embodiment, the inflatable tubes are provided with gripping surfaces and are manipulated by appropriate fluid pressures like fingers to grasp and recover target objects in a blocked passageway.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A device for opening narrow passageways which comprises:
-
a catheter having a length and a proximal end and distal end between which ends said length of said catheter extends, said distal end being defined by a terminal end surface of said catheter said catheter further having a plurality of internal lumens which extend between said proximal and distal ends; and a plurality of adjacent inflatable tubes which are attached to said plurality of lumens at said terminal end surface of said distal end of said catheter so as to be independently inflatable beyond said terminal end surface of said distal end of said catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A device for opening narrow passageways which comprises:
-
a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end and a plurality of internal lumens which extend between said proximal and distal ends; and a plurality of adjacent collapsible tubes which are attached to said plurality of lumens at said distal end of said tubular member which collapsible tubes are independently movable by fluid pressure between a retracted position within a lumen and an extended position in which said collapsible tubes extend beyond said distal end of said tubular member. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
10. A method of opening narrow passageways which comprises:
-
locating a constriction in a passageway; inserting a distal end of a tubular member, having a plurality of internal lumens, into said passageway and positioning said distal end adjacent said constriction, said distal end being defined by a terminal end surface of said tubular member; inserting a first inflatable tube, attached to one of said plurality of internal lumens at said terminal end surface, into the constriction beyond the terminal end surface of said distal end of said tubular member and thereafter inflating the inflatable tube to open the constriction; thereafter deflating the first inflatable tube and inserting one or more similar inflatable tubes, attached to said plurality of internal lumens at said terminal end surface, into the constriction together with the first inflatable tube and, after insertion, independently inflating each of the inflatable tubes together to further open the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of removing obstructions from narrow passageways which comprises:
-
locating a target object in a narrow passageway; inserting at least two inflatable tubes around the target object and thereafter inflating said at least two inflatable tubes so as to cause said at least two inflatable tubes to grip said target object; and withdrawing said inflatable tubes and said target object gripped thereby. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification