Expandable catheter
First Claim
1. A system for placing an endoprosthesis having a proximal end and a distal end at an implantation site in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
- a catheter having a proximal portion remaining outside the patient'"'"'s body and a flexible shaft that can be positioned inside the patient'"'"'s body, said shaft including in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a small diameter for receiving said endoprosthesis in a compact configuration for delivery to said site to a large diameter for implanting said endoprosthesis at said site, and a strip fixed to said catheter at opposite ends of said selectively expandable member and wrapped in a helical fashion about said expandable member such that said strip is stretched when said expandable member is expanded to said larger diameter.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Treating a site within the body by, e.g., placing an endoprosthesis into the body, with a catheter having a proximal portion remaining outside the body and a shaft for positioning inside the body. The shaft includes in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a small cross-sectional profile for receiving said endoprosthesis about said expandable member in a compact configuration and a large, expanded cross-sectional profile for expanding said prosthesis during placement into the body, and an elastic strip wrapped in helical fashion about said expandable member such that the strip is stretched when said expandable member is expanded to said large cross-sectional profile.
162 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for placing an endoprosthesis having a proximal end and a distal end at an implantation site in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
a catheter having a proximal portion remaining outside the patient'"'"'s body and a flexible shaft that can be positioned inside the patient'"'"'s body, said shaft including in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a small diameter for receiving said endoprosthesis in a compact configuration for delivery to said site to a large diameter for implanting said endoprosthesis at said site, and a strip fixed to said catheter at opposite ends of said selectively expandable member and wrapped in a helical fashion about said expandable member such that said strip is stretched when said expandable member is expanded to said larger diameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for placing an endoprosthesis at an implantation site in patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
a catheter having a proximal portion remaining outside the patient'"'"'s body and a shaft for positioning inside the patient'"'"'s body, said shaft including in a distal portion a selectively expandable inflatable balloon which can be expanded from a small diameter for receiving said endoprosthesis in a compact configuration for delivery to said site and a large diameter for implanting said endoprosthesis at said site, said balloon having proximal portion, distal portion, and central portion and an elastic strip attached to said catheter at opposite ends of said balloon and wrapped in a series of overlapping turns, each turn defining a wrap angle, said wrapping being about said balloon such that said strip is elastically stretched when said balloon is expanded and elastically recovers when said balloon is collapsed after implantation of said endoprosthesis. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method for treating a stricture site inside a body of a patient, comprising:
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providing a system including a catheter having a proximal portion remaining outside the body and a flexible shaft that can be positioned inside the body, said shaft including in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a low profile for delivery to said site and an expanded profile for treating said site, and a strip wrapped in a helical fashion about said expandable member such that said strip is stretched when said expandable member is expanded to said expanded profile, delivering said catheter to said site, and expanding said expandable member to treat said site. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification