Apparatus and methods for bone, tissue and duct dilatation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for treating a living being for bone, tissue and/or duct dilatation comprising the sequential steps of:
- inserting an inflatable balloon element in an uninflated state into an interior region, cavity or passage of a damaged, collapsed or deformed bone, tissue or duct through a first of one or more narrow diameter openings or passageways to position the balloon element at a body location requiring dilatation;
inflating the balloon element with a working fluid to a working pressure and/or volume and for a time period sufficient to dilate the interior region, cavity or passage;
deflating the balloon element by withdrawing the working fluid;
during and/or subsequent to said deflating step, stretching and/or folding, pleating or wrapping the balloon element to reduce its profile using a rod that is not attached to the balloon element to apply axial force, and/or using a rod that is not attached to the balloon element but is capable of engaging the balloon element to apply rotational force, manually or automatically to the balloon element; and
, withdrawing the previously-inflated balloon element through one of said narrow diameter openings or passageways, which may be the same as or different than said first narrow diameter opening or passageway.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for medical treatment comprising bone, tissue or duct dilatation using inflatable dilatation elements together with apparatus and techniques for tensioning, stretching, folding, and/or wrapping the dilatation elements externally as well as in situ to facilitate insertion, positioning and withdrawal procedures.
41 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method for treating a living being for bone, tissue and/or duct dilatation comprising the sequential steps of:
- inserting an inflatable balloon element in an uninflated state into an interior region, cavity or passage of a damaged, collapsed or deformed bone, tissue or duct through a first of one or more narrow diameter openings or passageways to position the balloon element at a body location requiring dilatation;
inflating the balloon element with a working fluid to a working pressure and/or volume and for a time period sufficient to dilate the interior region, cavity or passage;
deflating the balloon element by withdrawing the working fluid;
during and/or subsequent to said deflating step, stretching and/or folding, pleating or wrapping the balloon element to reduce its profile using a rod that is not attached to the balloon element to apply axial force, and/or using a rod that is not attached to the balloon element but is capable of engaging the balloon element to apply rotational force, manually or automatically to the balloon element; and
, withdrawing the previously-inflated balloon element through one of said narrow diameter openings or passageways, which may be the same as or different than said first narrow diameter opening or passageway. - 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)
- inserting an inflatable balloon element in an uninflated state into an interior region, cavity or passage of a damaged, collapsed or deformed bone, tissue or duct through a first of one or more narrow diameter openings or passageways to position the balloon element at a body location requiring dilatation;
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25. A method for treating a living being for bone, tissue and/or duct dilatation comprising the sequential steps of:
- inserting an inflatable balloon element having a sealed distal end and mounted on the distal end of a hollow tube, the balloon element initially in an uninflated state, into an interior region, cavity or passage of a damaged, collapsed or deformed bone, tissue or duct through a first of one or more narrow diameter openings or passageways to position the balloon element at a body location requiring dilatation;
inflating the balloon element with a working fluid to a working pressure and/or volume and for a time period sufficient to dilate the interior region, cavity or passage;
deflating the balloon element by withdrawing the working fluid;
during and/or subsequent to said deflating step, stretching and/or folding, pleating or wrapping the balloon element to reduce its profile using a rod that is not attached to the balloon element to apply axial force, and/or using a rod that is not attached to the balloon element but is capable of engaging the balloon element to apply rotational force, manually or automatically to the balloon element; and
, withdrawing the previously-inflated balloon element through one of said narrow diameter openings or passageways, which may be the same as or different than said first narrow diameter opening or passageway. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- inserting an inflatable balloon element having a sealed distal end and mounted on the distal end of a hollow tube, the balloon element initially in an uninflated state, into an interior region, cavity or passage of a damaged, collapsed or deformed bone, tissue or duct through a first of one or more narrow diameter openings or passageways to position the balloon element at a body location requiring dilatation;
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44. A method for treating a living being for bone, tissue and/or duct dilatation comprising the sequential steps of inserting an inflatable balloon element in an uninflated state into an interior region, cavity or passage of a damaged, collapsed or deformed bone, tissue or duct through a first of one or more narrow diameter openings or passageways to position the balloon element at a body location requiring dilatation;
- inflating the balloon element with a working fluid to a working pressure and/or volume and for a time period sufficient to dilate the interior region, cavity or passage;
deflating the balloon element by withdrawing the working fluid;
during and/or subsequent to said deflating step, stretching and/or folding, pleating or wrapping the balloon element to reduce its profile; and
, withdrawing the previously-inflated balloon element through one of said narrow diameter openings or passageways, which may be the same as or different than said first narrow diameter opening or passageway,wherein the body location to be treated is a vertebral segment and the method further comprises the step of forming a passageway including at least one opening from outside the vertebral segment into an interior region of the vertebral segment, and also wherein at least two openings are formed into the interior region, said method further comprising the steps of positioning a cannula element in each opening and inserting the balloon element through the cannula elements such that a proximal portion of the balloon element is inside a first of the cannula elements and a distal portion of balloon element is inside a second of the cannula elements during the inflation step. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
- inflating the balloon element with a working fluid to a working pressure and/or volume and for a time period sufficient to dilate the interior region, cavity or passage;
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52. A dilatation procedure for treating the body of a living being by dilating an internal body part or region using a balloon dilatation catheter apparatus, wherein the procedure comprises the following steps:
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(a) providing a balloon dilatation catheter apparatus having the following configuration;
a proximal end catheter sleeve portion, a middle sleeve portion, and a balloon or inflation element at or near the distal end of the catheter;
the proximal end catheter sleeve portion comprises a branched or Y-shaped element, of which a first arm or branch comprises a tubular shell with external threads at its proximal end, and a second arm or branch comprises a fluid inlet/outlet conduit for introducing pressurized fluid into the catheter for inflating the balloon or for withdrawing fluid after a dilatation procedure;
the tubular shell of the first branch comprises a region adjacent to the threaded region for housing a sealing gasket or a similar compressible sealing element having a centrally located aperture;
a cap element, that includes a centrally-located axial bore to accommodate a rod element and internal threads sized to mate with the external threads at the proximal end of the first branch, engages the proximal end of the first branch;
the rod element also has a knob portion at its proximal end, and is slidably positioned inside the catheter and sized to extend axially the full length of the catheter, extending through the central bore of the cap, through the sealing gasket, which acts like a bushing for supporting and centering the rod, through the interiors of the proximal and middle catheter sleeves, and through the interior of the balloon to a sealed tip portion of the apparatus;(b) inserting the catheter apparatus into the body and positioning the balloon in the region to be dilated; (c) turning the cap element at least partially advancing it in a distal direction and at least partially compressing the sealing gasket forming a fluid-tight seal at the sealing gasket and around the rod; (d) introducing fluid through the inlet/outlet conduit of the second arm, and through the interiors of the proximal and middle sleeve portions, inflating the balloon, and causing the rod to slide in a proximal direction; (e) after completing the dilatation procedure, withdrawing the fluid from the balloon and from the interior of the catheter through the inlet/outlet conduit of the second arm and deflating the balloon, while manually applying axial force to the proximal end of the rod pushing it toward the distal end of the catheter thereby stretching and tensioning the balloon; and
,(f) applying a rotational force to the knob of the rod, rotating the rod, and causing the balloon to wrap around the rod in preparation for withdrawing the balloon from the body. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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Specification