Sizing catheter for measuring septal defects
First Claim
1. A sizing catheter for measuring the size of an intracardiac opening, said sizing catheter including:
- a tubular shaft having a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end thereof, said tubular shaft further having a lumen extending between the proximal end and a region short of the distal end and terminating into a series of ports extending through the tubular shaft from the lumen to an outer surface of the tubular shaft, wherein an elongated dilation balloon affixed to the tubular shaft proximate the distal end of the tubular shaft encloses the series of ports, said dilation balloon being constructed of a thin expandable plastic and having an inflation threshold, wherein when the dilation balloon is positioned within a predetermined opening and inflated, said dilation balloon resists deformation up to the inflation threshold such that when the inflation threshold is reached the dilation balloon deforms about the predetermined opening and a size of the dilation balloon adjacent the predetermined opening approximates a stretched diameter of the predetermined opening.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sizing catheter and method of measuring a preselected internal opening within a patient to provide a rapid and precise determination of a stretched diameter of the preselected internal opening. The sizing catheter includes a dilation balloon constructed of a thin expandable plastic which is inflatable and is utilized to determine a size of the preselected opening. The dilation balloon is inflated to an inflation threshold, wherein the dilation balloon deforms about the preselected opening and the size of the dilation balloon adjacent the preselected opening approximates a stretched diameter of the preselected opening. The sizing catheter and method may be utilized to determine an appropriate sized occluding device to thereby occlude the preselected opening.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A sizing catheter for measuring the size of an intracardiac opening, said sizing catheter including:
- a tubular shaft having a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end thereof, said tubular shaft further having a lumen extending between the proximal end and a region short of the distal end and terminating into a series of ports extending through the tubular shaft from the lumen to an outer surface of the tubular shaft, wherein an elongated dilation balloon affixed to the tubular shaft proximate the distal end of the tubular shaft encloses the series of ports, said dilation balloon being constructed of a thin expandable plastic and having an inflation threshold, wherein when the dilation balloon is positioned within a predetermined opening and inflated, said dilation balloon resists deformation up to the inflation threshold such that when the inflation threshold is reached the dilation balloon deforms about the predetermined opening and a size of the dilation balloon adjacent the predetermined opening approximates a stretched diameter of the predetermined opening.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of determining a size of an intracardiac opening, said method including the steps of:
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a) providing a sizing means for sizing a predetermined internal opening of a patient, said sizing means including an elongated dilation balloon being constructed of a thin expandable plastic and being inflatable to thereby approximate a size of the predetermined opening;
b) providing a viewing means for viewing the internal position of the elongated dilation balloon positioned within a patient'"'"'s body;
c) positioning the dilation balloon of the sizing means within the predetermined opening;
d) inflating said dilation balloon to an inflation threshold, such that the dilation balloon deforms about the predetermined opening and a size of the dilation balloon adjacent the predetermined opening approximates a stretched diameter of the predetermined opening; and
e) determining the size of the dilation balloon adjacent the predetermined opening. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification