Expandable catheter
First Claim
1. 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, the shaft including in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a smaller diameter to a larger diameter, the catheter comprising a strip fixed to the catheter at opposite ends of the selectively expandable member and wrapped in a helical fashion about the expandable member such that the strip is stretched when the expandable member is expanded to the larger diameter.
3 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.
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Citations
24 Claims
- 1. 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, the shaft including in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a smaller diameter to a larger diameter, the catheter comprising a strip fixed to the catheter at opposite ends of the selectively expandable member and wrapped in a helical fashion about the expandable member such that the strip is stretched when the expandable member is expanded to the larger diameter.
Specification