Catheter

• US 6,572,633 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nucletron Operations BV
• Original Assignee: Delft Instruments Intellectual Property B.V.
• Inventors: Loffler, Edgar German, Visscher, Arie Luite
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/051,414
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 606/192, 606/194, 606/196, 606/191, 604/101.01, 604/101.02, 604/101.03
• US Class Current: 606/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1013 with concentrically mounted balloons, e.g. being independently inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1011 Multiple balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1003 having means for centering a radioactive source within the lumen, e.g. balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1002 Intraluminal radiation therapy

Abstract

A catheter provided with an elongated tube having channels for the guiding of a radioactive element and for the passage of a guide wire for the catheter as well as fluid under pressure, in which the elongated tube is provided near its distal end on its outer circumference with a recanalization balloon and activatable centering means arranged therein. A by-pass can also be arranged through the recanalization balloon.

Claims

1. A catheter for recanalization and irradiation of an occluded blood vessel, comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal ends;

a first channel in the tube and being adapted to receive and guide a radioactive element near the distal end, said first channel having a closed distal end;

a second channel in the tube adapted to receive and pass therethrough a guide wire;

temporarily activatable centering means on an outer periphery of the tube near the distal end thereof, such that when the centering means are activated the radioactive element is centered in the occluded blood vessel; and

temporarily activatable recanalization means surrounding the centering means to recanalize the occluded blood vessel;

wherein

upon activation of the recanalization means, no passage of blood through the blood vessel is possible, and

the catheter comprises means for allowing the passage of blood through the blood vessel during irradiation once the centering means are activated.

2. The catheter according to claim 1, further comprising at least one further channel which extends from a distal place past the recanalization means and the centering means to past the proximal end of the recanalization means and the centering means and is provided on opposite sides of the recanalization means and the centering means with at least one connecting opening with the surroundings.

3. The catheter according to claim 2, wherein said further channel coincides with the second channel, in which connection the guide wire can be pulled back further from the distal end of the second channel therein than the proximal connecting opening.

4. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein

the recanalization means comprises at least one fluid inflatable recanalization balloon surrounding the centering means;

wherein

the tube comprises a third channel for feeding an inflating fluid into recanalization balloon; and

wherein

the centering means are activatable within the recanalization balloon.

5. The catheter according to claim 4, wherein the centering means comprises at least one fluid inflatable balloon located on an outer periphery of the tube near the distal end and wherein the tube comprises a fourth channel for feeding an inflating fluid into the recanalization balloon.

6. The catheter according to claim 5, wherein the centering means comprises at least one strip-shaped member of a thin flexible member fastened to both the tube and the recanalization balloon.

7. The catheter according to claim 6, wherein the width of the strip-shaped member agrees with the distance between the tube and the recanalization balloon in inflated state.

8. The catheter according to claim 6, wherein the strip-shaped member extends helically around the tube.

9. The catheter according to claim 6, wherein the strip-shaped member extends perpendicular to the tube and the recanalization balloon.