Rapid exchange catheter

• US 5,531,690 A
• Filed: 10/21/1994
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Solar, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/327,134
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96, 604/101, 604/102, 604/160, 604/161, 604/164, 604/282, 606/192, 606/194
• US Class Current: 604/103.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0177 having external means for receiving guide wires, wires or stiffening members, e.g. loops, clamps or lateral tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0183 Rapid exchange or monorail catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1027 Making of balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1029 Production methods of the balloon members, e.g. blow-moulding, extruding, deposition or by wrapping a plurality of layers of balloon material around a mandril
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

This invention relates to a balloon dilatation catheter which comprises a first, inflation lumen extending therethrough and having distal and proximal ends, the distal end of the first lumen opening into and being in fluid communication with the interior of an inflatable dilatation balloon having distal and proximal ends, and a second lumen extending coextensively with the first lumen and having proximal and distal portions. The distal end of the second lumen is open, the distal portion of the second lumen has an opening proximal to the proximal end of the dilatation balloon, the portion of the second lumen distal to the opening is enlarged as compared to the proximal portion to facilitate receiving a guidewire in a sliding fit, and the portion of the second lumen proximal to the opening contains a pushing wire.

Claims

1. A balloon dilatation catheter system comprising:

(a) a guidewire and;

(b) two or more catheters which each comprise

an elongate flexible tubular shaft having a proximal end and distal end;

an inflatable dilatation balloon forming part of the distal end of the shaft, the dilatation balloon having a proximal end and a distal end;

a first, inflation lumen extending through the shaft and having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the first lumen opening into and being in fluid communication with the dilatation balloon;

a second lumen extending through the shaft and having a proximal end, an open distal end, and an opening proximal to said distal end; and

a pushing wire having a proximal end and a distal end and extending through the second lumen, the distal end of the pushing wire being fixed in the second lumen proximal to the distal end of the second lumen,

wherein the portion of the second lumen distal of said second lumen opening is enlarged as compared to the portion of the second lumen proximal to said opening to facilitate receiving a guidewire in a sliding fit,

which catheters can be sequentially exchanged over the guidewire, and wherein the guidewire has a slitter for slitting the enlarged distal portion of each lumen.

2. The balloon dilatation catheter system of claim 1, where each catheter has a dilatation balloon of a different size.