Dilatation catheter
First Claim
1. A catheter for the treatment of tissue surrounding a passage in a portion of an animal body, comprising an elongated tubular sheath having a distal end adapted to be introduced into a selected portion of a passage;
- an expander including a plurality of at least partially resilient expanding elements together defining a cage contractible and expandible radially of said tubular sheath and having a contracted condition within and a radially expanded condition outside of the distal end of said sheath, said elements having spaced-apart distal and proximal terminals and elongated intermediate sections between the respective distal and proximal terminals said intermediate sections being at least substantially parallel to each other in said contracted as well as in said radially expanded condition of said cage, said elements being maintained in a stressed condition when located within said sheath and tending to expand radially outwardly beyond said distal end and to bear upon the tissue surrounding the selected portion of a passage when at least said intermediate section and said distal terminals are located outside of said distal end; and
means for moving said elements within, beyond and back into the distal end of said sheath.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A balloon-free dilatation catheter has an elongated flexible sheath which is insertable into an animal body so that its distal end is located at or within a selected portion of an internal passage, such as in a blood vessel. The distal end normally confines an elongated cage-like expander having elongated at least partially resilient expanding elements which store energy when confined within the distal end but expand and bear against the tissue surrounding the selected portion of the internal passage when expelled from the distal end by one or more sleeve-like displacing elements confined in and movable circumferentially and/or longitudinally of the sheath. The expanding elements can carry one or more thermometers and/or the discharge end(s) of one or more conduits for a medication or another flowable substance and/or they can be connected to an energy source, e.g., to cool or heat and/or otherwise treat the tissue. The cage is configurated to effect a predictable expansion of a selected portion of an internal passage when it is expelled beyond the distal end of the sheath.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A catheter for the treatment of tissue surrounding a passage in a portion of an animal body, comprising an elongated tubular sheath having a distal end adapted to be introduced into a selected portion of a passage;
- an expander including a plurality of at least partially resilient expanding elements together defining a cage contractible and expandible radially of said tubular sheath and having a contracted condition within and a radially expanded condition outside of the distal end of said sheath, said elements having spaced-apart distal and proximal terminals and elongated intermediate sections between the respective distal and proximal terminals said intermediate sections being at least substantially parallel to each other in said contracted as well as in said radially expanded condition of said cage, said elements being maintained in a stressed condition when located within said sheath and tending to expand radially outwardly beyond said distal end and to bear upon the tissue surrounding the selected portion of a passage when at least said intermediate section and said distal terminals are located outside of said distal end; and
means for moving said elements within, beyond and back into the distal end of said sheath. - 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, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- an expander including a plurality of at least partially resilient expanding elements together defining a cage contractible and expandible radially of said tubular sheath and having a contracted condition within and a radially expanded condition outside of the distal end of said sheath, said elements having spaced-apart distal and proximal terminals and elongated intermediate sections between the respective distal and proximal terminals said intermediate sections being at least substantially parallel to each other in said contracted as well as in said radially expanded condition of said cage, said elements being maintained in a stressed condition when located within said sheath and tending to expand radially outwardly beyond said distal end and to bear upon the tissue surrounding the selected portion of a passage when at least said intermediate section and said distal terminals are located outside of said distal end; and
Specification