Balloon catheter with improved column strength and torque transmission

• US 9,233,234 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trireme Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trireme Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Konstantino, Eitan, De Los Santos, Jayson, Feld, Tanhum
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Nathan R
• Application Number:
  US13/087,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96.01, 604/103, 604/103.03, 604/103.04, 604/164.03, 606/192, 606/194
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0681 Systems with catheter and outer tubing, e.g. sheath, sleeve or guide tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1081 having sheaths or the like for covering the balloon but not forming a permanent part of the balloon, e.g. retractable, dissolvable or tearable sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1093 having particular tip characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube
• 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 25/104 used for angioplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

A balloon catheter capable of delivering torque and pushing through obstructions includes a relatively weak balloon segment of a catheter and rotatable asymmetric tip. A reinforcement sleeve increases column strength and torque transmission to push the balloon and rotate the tip to facilitate passage through said obstructions. The tip is preferably asymmetric around its axis, usually being beveled, and the reinforcement slide includes a slide lock mechanism which increases shaft flexibility after balloon deployment.

Claims

1. A balloon catheter comprising:

an inner member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a guidewire lumen extending therethrough;

a distal tip at the distal end of the inner member;

a reinforcement sleeve disposed coaxially over the inner member, said sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end and providing an inflation lumen between an outer surface of the inner member and an inner wall of the sleeve;

an inflatable balloon having a distal end secured to the distal tip and a proximal end secured to the reinforcement sleeve so that the balloon can receive an inflation medium from the inflation lumen, the inflatable balloon further having a distal leg proximal of the distal end and a distal taper proximal of the distal leg;

wherein, when the balloon is deflated, the distal end of the reinforcement sleeve is held in place by pressure and/or friction applied from the distal leg and will engage a proximal surface of the distal tip to transfer pushing forces to said tip,

wherein, when the balloon is inflated, the distal end of the reinforcement sleeve can separate from the proximal surface of the distal tip to enhance flexibility and limit deformation of the inflated balloon, and

wherein the distal end of the balloon is attached to the proximal surface of the distal tip.

2. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the distal end of the distal tip is asymmetrically beveled so that the distal tip can be rotationally oriented relative to a luminal obstruction when the catheter is present in a body lumen.

3. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein a distal region of the reinforcement sleeve is tapered within the balloon to reduce the crossing profile of the balloon.

4. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement sleeve has a substantially uniform diameter over a distal region.

5. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the inner member comprises a hypotube over at least a portion of its length.

6. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the inner member comprises a polymer tube over at least a portion of its length.

7. A balloon catheter as in claim 6, wherein polymer tube is reinforced.

8. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement sleeve comprises a polymer tube over at least a portion of its length.

9. A balloon catheter as in claim 8, wherein the polymer tube is reinforced.

10. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the balloon has a distal construction which defines an annular channel which receives the distal end of the reinforcement sleeve.

11. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the distal tip is a separate component attached to the distal end of the inner member.

12. A balloon catheter as in claim 1, wherein the balloon has a collar region at its distal end which is attached to the distal tip.