Manipulatable delivery catheter for occlusive devices (II)

• US 6,793,667 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vascular FX, LLC
• Original Assignee: Counter Clockwise Inc.
• Inventors: Hebert, Stephen, Levine, Marc-Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/184,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20020177867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 606/194, 606/192, 606/108, 600/141-150
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12113 within an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1214 Coils or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0034 characterized by elements which are assembled, connected or fused, e.g. splittable tubes, outer sheaths creating lumina or separate cores making of catheters A61M25/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0037 characterized by lumina being arranged side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0039 characterized by lumina being arranged coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/004 characterized by lumina being arranged circumferentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0177 having external means for receiving guide wires, wires or stiffening members, e.g. loops, clamps or lateral tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/018 Catheters having a lateral opening for guiding elongated means lateral to the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0053 having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the pitch of the coil or braid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0144 having flexible regions as a result of inner reinforcement means, e.g. struts or rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires
• 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 25/1006 Balloons formed between concentric tubes

Abstract

This is in the general field of surgical instruments and is specifically a delivery catheter with a flexible, proximally-manipulated hinge or joint region. The inventive catheter may have a balloon region. The catheter may have a shaft of varying flexibility which contains several lumen. The inner, or delivery, lumen generally may be used with a guidewire to access target sites within the body via the flexible, small diameter vessels of the body. The delivery lumen may be also used for placement of occlusive materials, e.g., in an aneurysm. Inflation of the micro-balloon, located near the distal tip of the catheter, is effected using the inflation lumen. The push/pull wire lumen contains a wire, which when manipulated, flexes the catheter'"'"'s distal tip. The push/pull wire tubing may have a variable thickness to aid in adjusting the degree of flexibility. Moreover, the delivery catheter may be capable of twisting in a helical or corkscrew-like manner for traversing certain vasculature. This may be accomplished by winding the push/pull wire within the catheter and fixedly attaching it. The catheter may further include an entry in the catheter wall to allow for the insertion of a guidewire; this may facilitate the rapid exchange of catheter devices as desired by the user.

Claims

1. A catheter section, comprising:

a balloon region comprising a distal end and a proximal end and defining an axis therebetween;

an inflatable member disposed in said balloon region;

a flexible joint region disposed within said balloon region;

a tubing member further disposed in said balloon region, said tubing member having a distal end and a proximal end and an axis therebetween, said tubing member having a variable wall thickness; and

a wire configured to move said distal end about said flexible joint region, said wire being disposed within said tubing member.

2. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein said tubing member comprises a first wall thickness at a location proximal of said distal end and a second wall thickness at said distal end, said first wall thickness being greater than said second wall thickness.

3. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein said tubing member further comprises a plurality of consecutive tube sections, said tube sections each having a wall thickness less than an adjacent proximal tube section.

4. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein said tubing member has a tapered wall.