Balloon catheter
First Claim
1. In a balloon catheter for insertion in a patient'"'"'s vessel including a catheter having a lumen therethrough and an axially extending balloon formed of a layer of material that defines internal and external surfaces and disposed concentrically about one end of the catheter, said balloon communicating with the lumen to enable inflation of said balloon from a compact to an expanded configuration by the introduction of a fluid through the lumen to said balloon, the improvement comprising the division of said external surface into a plurality of first and second external angularly spaced, axially extending surface portions, said balloon, in its compact configuration, being folded to expose essentially only said first external surface portions and, in its expanded configuration, to expose both said first and second external surface portions, each of said first external surface portions being coformed with said balloon to have a first permanent characteristic of sliding friction and each of said second external surface portions being coformed with said balloon to have a second and greater permanent characteristic of sliding friction whereby the first permanent characteristic of sliding friction is determinative of the characteristic of sliding friction of said balloon in its compact configuration and the second permanent characteristic of sliding friction is substantially determinative of the overall frictional characteristic of sliding friction of said balloon in its expanded configuration.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An expansible balloon catheter has at least a first exterior surface with a given coefficient of friction and a second exterior surface with a greater coefficient of friction. In a compact form only the first exterior surface is exposed to produce a low coefficient of friction during transfer of the collapsed or uninflated balloon to and across a lesion. When inflated, the second surface dominates the first surface and produces an increased coefficient of friction overall thereby to stabilize the balloon in the lesion.
269 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. In a balloon catheter for insertion in a patient'"'"'s vessel including a catheter having a lumen therethrough and an axially extending balloon formed of a layer of material that defines internal and external surfaces and disposed concentrically about one end of the catheter, said balloon communicating with the lumen to enable inflation of said balloon from a compact to an expanded configuration by the introduction of a fluid through the lumen to said balloon, the improvement comprising the division of said external surface into a plurality of first and second external angularly spaced, axially extending surface portions, said balloon, in its compact configuration, being folded to expose essentially only said first external surface portions and, in its expanded configuration, to expose both said first and second external surface portions, each of said first external surface portions being coformed with said balloon to have a first permanent characteristic of sliding friction and each of said second external surface portions being coformed with said balloon to have a second and greater permanent characteristic of sliding friction whereby the first permanent characteristic of sliding friction is determinative of the characteristic of sliding friction of said balloon in its compact configuration and the second permanent characteristic of sliding friction is substantially determinative of the overall frictional characteristic of sliding friction of said balloon in its expanded configuration.
- 8. In a balloon catheter for insertion in a patient'"'"'s vessels including a catheter having a lumen therein and a balloon mounted thereon in communication with the lumen for selective inflation of said balloon from a compact form to an expanded form about an axis, the improvement of a balloon having interior and exterior surfaces, said external surface comprising first and second axially extending, angularly displaced surface portions coformed with said balloon, a first surface portion being exposed in the compact and expanded forms of said balloon and said second surface portion being exposed during expansion of said balloon from its compact form, said first and second surface portions being formed with different permanent characteristics of sliding friction whereby the first external surface portion characteristic of sliding friction is determinative of the overall characteristics of sliding friction of said balloon upon engagement with a patient'"'"'s vessels and the second external surface portion characteristic of sliding friction is substantially determinative of the overall characteristic of sliding friction with respect to a patient'"'"'s vessels after said balloon shifts from its compact form to its expanded form.
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14. A balloon catheter for percutaneous insertion through the vessels of a patient comprising:
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A. a catheter having a proximal and distal end and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, B. an expansible balloon at the distal end of said catheter, said balloon being selectively inflatable from a compact form to an expanded form about an axis, said balloon having an exterior surface with at least one axially extending integral surface portion coformed with a first permanent frictional characteristic that engages the patient'"'"'s vessels in said compact condition and at least one other axially extending integral surface portion that exhibits a greater permanent frictional characteristic upon engagement with the patient'"'"'s vessels, all of said surface portions being exposed in the expanded condition of said balloon whereby said balloon in its expanded state exhibits greater friction in contact with a patient'"'"'s vessels than when the balloon in its compact state; and C. expansion means associated with said catheter lumen inflating said balloon into its expanded condition. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A balloon catheter for insertion in a patient'"'"'s vessels comprising:
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A. a catheter having a lumen therein, and B. an expansible balloon operatively connected with said lumen for selective inflation from a compact to an expanded condition, said balloon operatively carried on said catheter with a first integral exterior surface portion of said balloon exposed in the compact condition and a second integral exterior surface portion and said first integral surface portion being exposed upon inflation of said balloon, said first exterior surface having a first permanent frictional characteristic and said second exterior surface having a second permanent frictional characteristic that is greater than the first permanent frictional characteristic whereby the overall friction produced in the expanded state of said balloon fixes the position of said balloon in the patient'"'"'s vessel and the overall friction produced in the compacted state facilitates the transfer of said balloon through the patient'"'"'s vessels. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification