Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2002-05-21
Mendez, Manual (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S103060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06391002
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the filed of intravascular balloon catheters, and more particularly to a balloon catheter with a balloon having a variable radial force along the longitudinal axis for improved expansion and stenting.
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a widely used procedure for the treatment of coronary heart disease. In this procedure, a balloon dilatation catheter is advanced into the patient's coronary artery. The balloon on the catheter is inflated within the stenotic region of the patient's artery, exerting radial force on the stenotic region, to open up the arterial passageway. Thereby increasing the blood flow.
To facilitate the advancement of the dilatation catheter into the patient's coronary artery, a guiding catheter having a preshaped distal tip is first percutaneously introduced into the cardiovascular system of a patient by the Seldinger technique through the brachial or femoral arteries. The catheter is advanced until the preshaped distal tip of the guiding catheter is disposed within the aorta adjacent the ostium of the desired coronary artery, and the distal tip of the guiding catheter is then maneuvered into the ostium. A balloon dilatation catheter may then be advanced through the guiding catheter into the patient's coronary artery until the balloon on the catheter is disposed within the stenotic region of the patient's artery. The balloon is inflated, exerting radial force on the stenotic region, opening up the arterial passageway and increasing the blood flow through the artery.
Generally, the inflated diameter of the balloon is approximately the same diameter as the native diameter of the body lumen being dilated so as to complete the dilatation but not over expand the artery wall. After the balloon is finally deflated, blood flow resumes through the dilated artery and the dilatation catheter can be removed therefrom. However, damage to the vessel wall at and around the stenosis can result from the expansion of the balloon against the vessel wall.
In such angioplasty procedures, there may be a restenosis, i.e. reformation of the arterial blockage. To reduce the restenosis rate and to strengthen the dilated area, physicians frequently implant an intravascular prosthesis, called a stent, inside the artery at the site of the lesion. Stents may also be used to repair vessels having an intimal flap or dissection or to generally strengthen a weakened section of a vessel. Stents are usually delivered to a desired location within a coronary artery in a contracted condition on a balloon of a catheter which is similar in many respects to a balloon angioplasty catheter, and expanded to a larger diameter by expansion of the balloon. Thereafter, the balloon is deflated to remove the catheter and the stent is left in place within the artery at the site of the dilated lesion.
Stents have been used to open a stenosed vessel for some time. Unfortunately, the force needed to move against the thick stenosis causes the balloon to expand against the vessel wall in the area proximal and distal to the stenosis. The expansion of a stent against the vessel wall can cause damage to the vessel wall, similar to the damage caused by expansion of the balloon.
Therefore, what has been needed is a balloon catheter with improved expansion characteristics to avoid damage to the vessel wall. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a balloon catheter having an elongated shaft and a balloon mounted on a distal portion of the shaft. The balloon has a working section and proximal and distal end portions that extend inwardly with respect to the working section. The proximal and distal end portions are secured to the catheter shaft within the working section. The balloon catheter of the present invention allows for variable radial force along the catheter's longitudinal axis without changing the outer diameter of the working section of the balloon or the wall thickness throughout the balloon.
The catheter shaft has a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The balloon may be configured for dilatation, or for stent delivery with a stent disposed about and mounted on the working section of the balloon. The stent may be any of several known in the art. Such suitable stents include, for example, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,768 (Lau et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,615 (Klemm et al.), which are incorporated herein by reference.
The location of the secured ends of the balloon creates a variable radial force along the balloon working section. Certain areas exert more force, and therefore expand more, against the vessel wall. This phenomenon is called focal expansion. The balloon of the invention has proximal and distal end portions that extend inwardly, creating funnel shaped inverted recesses on each end of the balloon. Generally, balloons known in the art have cone shape end portions extending away from the working section. The inverted recesses create two surface areas inside the balloon at the same location along the longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft between the location that the end is secured to the catheter shaft and the location corresponding to the end of the working length. When the balloon is inflated, the two surface areas exert force in generally opposite directions. The working section of the balloon will exert force against the stenosis. The end portions exert force in a direction determined by design characteristics. In all design embodiments, the force exerted by the end portions will be in a direction generally opposite the force exerted on the stenosis by the working section.
The portions of the working section which have a corresponding surface at the same location along the longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft will not exert the force against the vessel wall that the portion of the working section without a corresponding interior surface will exert. Thereby, the balloon avoids damage to the vessel by limiting expansion of the balloon or stent proximal and distal to the stenosis. Generally, about 40% to about 80% of the length of the working section will have a corresponding surface at the same location along the longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft.
In a specific embodiment, the balloon is at least partially supported by interior fibers of connecting material. The connecting fibers may be made from any material that is compatible with the balloon materials and is noncompliant and rigid in order not to distort beyond its length. These materials include, but are not limited to, polymeric materials and metallic materials. Specifically, biocompatible plastics are adequate materials. The fibers connect at least a portion of the working section with the interior area of the proximal end portion or distal end portion. These fibers allow for a controlled variable radial force. With no fibers, the opposing forces create a lever effect, with most of the force exerted on the end portions cumulatively exerted on the point connecting the end portion to the working length. While this results in less force on the vessel wall at the proximal and distal ends of the working section, it can not be controlled or predicted. With connecting fibers, each connected point along the end portion has a corresponding point on the working section. This in turn allows for a point by point force subtraction, and a controlled and predictable decrease in force along the working section towards the ends.
In one embodiment of the invention, the balloon has a proximal end portion having a tapered length that tapers distally from a larger transverse dimension to a smaller transverse dimension. The tapered length may take any form. Some tapers include, but are not limited to, an embodiment with a tapered length adjacent to the working section with an angle between the working section and the tapered length of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees. Specifically, the angle is about 30 degrees to abou
Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
Coudert Brothers LLP
Mendez Manual
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