Variable stiffness balloon dilatation catheters
First Claim
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1. In a balloon dilatation catheter apparatus comprising generally concentric, coaxial, inner and outer polymeric tubular members, each having proximal and distal ends, and arranged so as to form an annular lumen therebetween in fluid communication with the interior of an inflatable balloon element sealed at its proximal end to said outer tubular member and at its distal end to said inner tubular member, the improvement comprising:
- at least one heat-shrunk stiffening band surrounding at least some portion of the exterior of said inner tubular member so as to form a tubular sidewall having a first thickness along a first portion of said inner tubular member and at least a second, larger thickness along a second portion, further wherein at least one of said stiffening bands has a wall thickness substantially less than the wall thickness of said inner tubular member and consists essentially of a heat-shrunk polymeric material having a flexural modulus sufficiently greater than that of said inner tubular member such that the portion of said sidewall associated with said stiffening band has a flexural modulus substantially greater than that of said inner tubular member.
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Abstract
A variable stiffness balloon dilatation catheter is disclosed in which one or more polymeric sleeves are heat-shrunk around portions of an inner tubular element so as to form stiffening bands that provide variable stiffness longitudinally along the catheter.
335 Citations
82 Claims
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1. In a balloon dilatation catheter apparatus comprising generally concentric, coaxial, inner and outer polymeric tubular members, each having proximal and distal ends, and arranged so as to form an annular lumen therebetween in fluid communication with the interior of an inflatable balloon element sealed at its proximal end to said outer tubular member and at its distal end to said inner tubular member, the improvement comprising:
- at least one heat-shrunk stiffening band surrounding at least some portion of the exterior of said inner tubular member so as to form a tubular sidewall having a first thickness along a first portion of said inner tubular member and at least a second, larger thickness along a second portion, further wherein at least one of said stiffening bands has a wall thickness substantially less than the wall thickness of said inner tubular member and consists essentially of a heat-shrunk polymeric material having a flexural modulus sufficiently greater than that of said inner tubular member such that the portion of said sidewall associated with said stiffening band has a flexural modulus substantially greater than that of said inner tubular member.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. Variable stiffness balloon dilatation catheter apparatus comprising:
- (a) hollow inner and outer polymeric tubular members having different diameters, each with proximal and distal ends, said members being arranged concentrically such that an annular lumen is formed therebetween;
(b) a balloon element sealed at its proximal end to said outer tubular member and at its distal end to said inner tubular member so as to form a closed-ended, inflatable balloon interior in fluid communication with said annular lumen; and
(c) said inner tubular member further comprising regions of differing degrees of stiffness formed by heat-shrinking at least one relatively thin polymeric sleeve around a portion of a relatively thicker tubular element comprising a polymer different from said polymeric sleeve, wherein said polymeric sleeves consist essentially of material having a flexural modulus sufficiently greater than that of said tubular element such that the regions associated respectively with said polymeric sleeves have a flexural modulus substantially greater than that of said tubular element. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
- (a) hollow inner and outer polymeric tubular members having different diameters, each with proximal and distal ends, said members being arranged concentrically such that an annular lumen is formed therebetween;
- 73. Variable stiffness catheter member comprising elongated polymeric tubing having regions of differing degrees of stiffness formed by heat-shrinking at least one relatively thin polymeric sleeve around a portion of a relatively thicker tubular element comprising a polymer different from said polymeric sleeve, wherein said polymeric sleeves consist essentially of material having a flexural modulus sufficiently greater than that of said tubular element such that the regions associated respectively with said polymeric sleeves have a flexural modulus substantially greater than that of said tubular element.
Specification