Synchronous, pulsatile angioplasty system
First Claim
1. A method for performing synchronous, pulsatile angioplasty on a patient, comprising the steps of:
- providing an angioplasty balloon catheter having an elongated shaft, an inflatable balloon disposed on said shaft at a distal end thereof, and an inflation lumen extending lengthwise along said shaft, the inflation lumen having an inflation opening disposed at the catheter shaft distal end and communicating with said balloon, the inflation lumen further having an inflation media opening at a proximal end of said catheter shaft;
inserting said angioplasty balloon catheter into a blood vessel of the patient and positioning said balloon catheter into a predesired location within the blood vessel;
providing a source of inflation media, a source of low pressure and an inflation-deflation control apparatus;
operatively interconnecting said angioplasty balloon catheter, the inflation media source, the low pressure source and the inflation-deflation control apparatus together;
providing means for monitoring a heart rate of said patient and for generating a signal indicative of the heart rate of said patient;
generating a triggering signal within said inflation-deflation control apparatus in response to the heart rate signal by said heart rate monitoring means; and
inflating and deflating said inflatable balloon in a cyclical, pulsatile pattern in response to said triggering signal received by said inflation-deflation control apparatus in synchronization with a particular heartbeat of said heart rate signal by alternatingly introducing said inflation media into said inflatable balloon from said inflation media source and evacuating said inflation media from said inflatable balloon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A synchronous, pulsatile angioplasty system utilizes a control apparatus which controls balloon inflation and deflation in a pulsatile fashion synchronized with the heartbeat of a patient. A heart monitor provides an input, a signal to the control apparatus which serves as a baseline for operation of the pulsatile inflation and deflation of the balloon. A triggering circuit reads the baseline signal and generates a control signal to selectively generate valves interconnecting the angioplasty catheter with sources of inflation media and low pressure. Time delay circuits may be utilized which delay either the duration of the control signal or the receipt thereof by the control valves.
126 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for performing synchronous, pulsatile angioplasty on a patient, comprising the steps of:
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providing an angioplasty balloon catheter having an elongated shaft, an inflatable balloon disposed on said shaft at a distal end thereof, and an inflation lumen extending lengthwise along said shaft, the inflation lumen having an inflation opening disposed at the catheter shaft distal end and communicating with said balloon, the inflation lumen further having an inflation media opening at a proximal end of said catheter shaft; inserting said angioplasty balloon catheter into a blood vessel of the patient and positioning said balloon catheter into a predesired location within the blood vessel; providing a source of inflation media, a source of low pressure and an inflation-deflation control apparatus; operatively interconnecting said angioplasty balloon catheter, the inflation media source, the low pressure source and the inflation-deflation control apparatus together; providing means for monitoring a heart rate of said patient and for generating a signal indicative of the heart rate of said patient; generating a triggering signal within said inflation-deflation control apparatus in response to the heart rate signal by said heart rate monitoring means; and inflating and deflating said inflatable balloon in a cyclical, pulsatile pattern in response to said triggering signal received by said inflation-deflation control apparatus in synchronization with a particular heartbeat of said heart rate signal by alternatingly introducing said inflation media into said inflatable balloon from said inflation media source and evacuating said inflation media from said inflatable balloon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An angioplasty apparatus for inflating and deflating an inflatable balloon inserted into a blood vessel of a patient in a pulsatile manner in synchronization with the heart rate of the patient, the angioplasty apparatus comprising:
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an angioplasty catheter having an elongated catheter shaft, an inflatable balloon disposed on the catheter shaft at a distal end thereof, an inflation lumen extending along said catheter shaft having an outlet at said catheter shaft distal end in communication with said inflatable balloon and an opposite inlet at a proximal end of said catheter shaft; a pressurized supply of inflation media; a low pressure supply; an inflation-deflation media conveyance network interconnecting said proximal end of said catheter to said inflation media and low pressure supplies; control valves disposed within said network and interposed between said catheter lumen inlet and said inflation media and low pressure supplies for selectively controlling flow of pressurized inflation media and low pressure in an alternating fashion through said network and into said catheter shaft lumen inlet in order to selectively inflate and deflate said inflatable balloon within the patient'"'"'s blood vessel; means for monitoring the heartbeat of the patient and for providing an input signal indicative of said heartbeat; control means for activating said control valves in synchronization with said heartbeat input signal and alternatingly introducing and evacuating said pressurized inflation media into and from said catheter shaft lumen inlet to selectively inflate and deflate said inflatable balloon in synchronization with said heartbeat signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification