Catheter

• US 6,533,754 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Hisamatsu, Takatomo, Ishida, Toshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): CAPOSSELA, RONALD C
• Application Number:
  US09/717,071
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96.01, 604/535, 606/192, 606/194
• US Class Current: 604/96.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0183 Rapid exchange or monorail catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility

Abstract

A dilatation catheter has a tubular proximal shaft having relatively high rigidity, a tubular distal shaft having rigidity lower than that of the proximal shaft, a tubular intermediate section interposed between the proximal shaft and the distal shaft, a hub mounted on the proximal end portion of the proximal shaft, a balloon arranged on the distal end portion of the distal shaft so as to be in fluid communication with the distal shaft, and an inner shaft into which a guide wire can be inserted. The distal end portion of the proximal shaft can be inserted into the intermediate section to form an insertion portion having a spiral slit.

Claims

1. A dilatation catheter, comprising:

a tubular proximal shaft;

a tubular distal shaft having rigidity lower than that of the proximal shaft;

a tubular intermediate section interposed between the proximal shaft and the distal shaft for connecting liquid tightly these shafts;

a hub mounted on a proximal end portion of the proximal shaft, to which a pressure applying apparatus can be attached;

a balloon arranged on a distal end portion of the distal shaft so as to be in fluid communication, to which pressure can be applied from the hub; and

a guide wire lumen having a distal aperture positioned on a distal end side to the distal end of the balloon and a proximal aperture positioned on a proximal end side to the proximal end of the balloon and on a distal end side to the proximal shaft,

wherein a distal end portion of the proximal shaft is inserted into the intermediate section to form an insertion portion, the insertion portion having a spiral slit.

2. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the proximal aperture of the guide wire lumen and the distal end of the proximal shaft is at most 5 mm.

3. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, wherein the proximal aperture of the guide wire lumen extends over a predetermined length in a longitudinal direction of the catheter, and the distance between the distal end of the proximal aperture and the distal end of the proximal shaft is at most 5 mm.

4. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the spiral slit is positioned on a portion within 10 mm from the distal end of the proximal shaft toward the proximal end.

5. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing member arranged on the distal end side to the distal end of the proximal shaft in a manner to extend to reach at least the proximal aperture of the guide wire lumen.

6. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, wherein the proximal shaft is formed of a metal tube.

7. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, wherein a pitch of the spiral slit is shorter on the distal end side and longer on the proximal end side.

8. The dilatation catheter according to claim 1, further comprising an inner shaft arranged coaxially, with the distal shaft inside the distal shaft, and the inner lumen of the inner shaft forms the guide wire lumen.

9. A catheter, comprising:

a tubular proximal shaft;

a tubular distal shaft having rigidity lower than that of the proximal shaft;

a tubular intermediate section interposed between the proximal shaft and the distal shaft for connecting liquid tightly these shafts;

a hub mounted on a proximal end portion of the proximal shaft;

a treatment device arranged on a distal end portion of the distal shaft; and

a guide wire lumen having a distal aperture positioned on a distal end side to the treatment device and a proximal aperture positioned on a proximal end side to the treatment device and on a distal end side to the proximal shaft,

wherein a distal end portion of the proximal shaft is inserted into the intermediate section to form an insertion portion, the insertion portion having a spiral slit.

10. The catheter according to claim 9, wherein a distance between the proximal aperture of the guide wire lumen and the distal end of the proximal shaft is at most 5 mm.

11. The catheter according to claim 9, wherein the proximal aperture of the guide wire lumen extends over a predetermined length in a longitudinal direction of the catheter, and the distance between the distal end of the proximal aperture and the distal end of the proximal shaft is at most 5 mm.

12. The catheter according to claim 9, wherein the distal end of the spiral slit is positioned on a portion within 10 mm from the distal end of the proximal shaft toward the proximal end.

13. The catheter according to claim 9, further comprising a reinforcing member arranged on the distal end side to the distal end of the proximal shaft in a manner to extend to reach at least the proximal aperture of the guide wire lumen.

14. The catheter according to claim 9, wherein the proximal shaft is formed of a metal tube.

15. The catheter according to claim 9, wherein a pitch of the spiral slit is shorter on the distal end side and longer on the proximal end side.

16. The catheter according to claim 9, further comprising an inner shaft arranged coaxially with the distal shaft inside the distal shaft, and the inner lumen of the inner shaft forms the guide wire lumen.