Rotatable catheter assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A catheter assembly comprising:
- a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a length and an outer surface;
a balloon, the balloon comprising a proximal balloon waist, a distal balloon waist and a body portion therebetween, the balloon having an expanded state and a unexpanded state, in the expanded state the body portion having an expanded diameter and in the unexpanded state the body portion having an unexpanded diameter that is less than the expanded diameter; and
a proximal collar and a distal collar, the proximal collar fixed to the catheter shaft and the distal collar fixed to the catheter shaft, each collar having a nonactivated state and an activated state, in the nonactivated state the distal balloon waist being rotatable about the distal collar and the proximal balloon waist being rotatable about the proximal collar, in the activated state the proximal collar being expanded to sealingly engage the proximal balloon waist and the distal collar being expanded to sealingly engage the distal balloon waist.
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Abstract
A catheter assembly comprises a catheter shaft, a balloon and a pair of collars. The collars may be fixed or rotatable about a catheter shaft prior to exposure to an electric current. Where the collars are fixed to the shaft, the balloon is rotatable about the collars. When exposed to the electric current the collars expand to engage the waists of the balloon thereby sealing the balloon. Where the collars are rotatable about the shaft, the each waist of the balloon is engaged to a respective collars. When the rotatable collars are exposed to the electric current the collars expand to engage the shaft of the catheter thereby sealing the balloon.
262 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A catheter assembly comprising:
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a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a length and an outer surface; a balloon, the balloon comprising a proximal balloon waist, a distal balloon waist and a body portion therebetween, the balloon having an expanded state and a unexpanded state, in the expanded state the body portion having an expanded diameter and in the unexpanded state the body portion having an unexpanded diameter that is less than the expanded diameter; and a proximal collar and a distal collar, the proximal collar fixed to the catheter shaft and the distal collar fixed to the catheter shaft, each collar having a nonactivated state and an activated state, in the nonactivated state the distal balloon waist being rotatable about the distal collar and the proximal balloon waist being rotatable about the proximal collar, in the activated state the proximal collar being expanded to sealingly engage the proximal balloon waist and the distal collar being expanded to sealingly engage the distal balloon waist. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A catheter assembly comprising:
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a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a length and an outer surface; a balloon disposed about at least a portion of the outer surface of the catheter shaft, the balloon comprising a proximal balloon waist, a distal balloon waist and a body portion there between, the balloon having an expanded state and a unexpanded state, in the expanded state the body portion having an expanded diameter and in the unexpanded state the body portion having an unexpanded diameter that is less than the expanded diameter; and one or more collars disposed between the outer surface of the catheter shaft and at least one of the proximal waist and distal waist of the balloon, the one or more collars including an electroactive polymer material having a contracted state and an expanded state, wherein the balloon is rotatable relative to the catheter shaft when the electroactive polymer material of the one or more collars in the contracted state and the balloon is sealingly engaged to the catheter shaft when the electroactive polymer material of the one or more collars is in the expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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Specification