Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-07-24
Kennedy, Sharon (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S103060, C604S103070, C604S103080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264631
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for catheterizing a body cavity, and is particularly directed to a balloon catheter with a distally distending balloon which envelops the catheter tip upon inflation.
2. Description of the Related Art and Background of the Invention
Catheterizing a body cavity can be advantageous in many instances such as to insert or remove fluids to or from the cavity. It is also known to be desirable to use a device such as an inflated balloon near the tip of the catheter to hold it in the body cavity. This type of balloon is fashioned around the perimeter of the catheter shaft such that when it is deflated, it adds little to the overall diameter of the catheter. When the catheter tip is inside the body cavity, the balloon is inflated and thereby precludes withdrawal of the portion of the catheter distal to and covered by the balloon. Examples of cavities often catheterized in this manner are the stomach or an intestine. Examples of the function of such catheterization are fluid drainage and bolus feeding.
Attachment of the balloon to the catheter shaft is commonly accomplished by gluing proximal and distal cuffs to corresponding positions on the external surface of the catheter shaft. Such balloon cuffs are longitudinal sections of the balloon whose inside diameter correspond to the outside diameter of the shaft at positions near the distal tip of the catheter and have a distance between which is roughly the length of the uninflated balloon from the distal tip. It will be appreciated that the size of the catheter and the uninflated length of the balloon will vary in accordance with the size and shape of the body cavity and the nature of the matter to be moved through the catheter. The glue cuffs must be of sufficient length to provide a tight and durable seal between the balloon and the catheter shaft.
As the uninflated balloon is inherently elastic, the catheter shaft must be rigid enough to withstand insertion pressures. This is especially true at the distal catheter tip of the shaft.
The volume and internal geometry of hollow internal body organs is often dynamic. A clear example of this is the stomach. Opposing internal surfaces and folds regularly come into contact with each other. This is especially true when the cavity is empty and the animal is physically active. The presence of a stiff catheter tip in this environment, has been suspected of irritating the opposing surfaces of the body cavity.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a balloon catheter with a stiff distal tip isolated from opposing internal body cavity surfaces.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a balloon catheter whose inflated balloon isolates a portion of the distal tip and thereby protects opposing internal cavity surfaces from irritation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a balloon catheter whose uninflated balloon does not interfere with the catheter distal tip upon insertion.
These objects are generally accomplished by an inventive balloon catheter having a stiff distal tip to aide insertion of the catheter through a stoma or other opening to a body cavity. Immediately proximal to the tip is a shaft, and disposed upon the shaft in coaxial relationship is a balloon. Upon inflation of the balloon through an inflation lumen in the shaft, the distal end of the balloon distends over the stiff tip to protect an opposing wall of the body cavity in which the tip, balloon, and part of the shaft are located. The distal end of the inflated balloon has much greater surface area and is more resilient than the distal tip. The balloon thus, shields the opposing wall from potential irritation which could possibly be caused by the stiff distal tip.
The general advantages obtained by this inventive catheter can be specifically brought about by a first preferred embodiment in which a plurality of annular rings are disposed about the proximal end of the balloon. These rings force a greater volume of inflation medium into the distal end of the balloon, thus urging it to distend in the direction of the tip. The first preferred embodiment further discloses an annular ring adjacent to a distal glue cuff. The ring provides an initially surmountable radial and proximal bias upon the distal portion of the balloon. When the balloon is inflated further, the distal ring inverts or transposes in radial orientation to the shaft, thereby distending the balloon over a portion of the shaft distal to the previously uninflated balloon and biasing a portion of the balloon radially toward the distal tip.
In a second preferred embodiment, a plurality of centrally located annular rings bias radially against inflation of the balloon. These forces cause the balloon to distend longitudinally. The proximal distention is limited by the proximal body cavity wall. Thus, the distention over the distal tip is even more pronounced.
In a third preferred embodiment, the uninflated balloon is longer than the portion of the shaft to which it is glued. This creates a longitudinal excess that allows the balloon to overlap the glue cuffs and distend longitudinally upon inflation. As in the previously described embodiment, the proximal wall enhances distal distention of the balloon
In a fourth preferred embodiment, the balloon has a thicker portion at the proximal end and a thinner portion at the distal end. The natural bias of the balloon adjacent the proximal glue cuff urges the bulk of the inflation to occur adjacent the distal glue cuff where the natural bias is relatively weak.
These and other features and advantages will be seen from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the claims.
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patent: 6-261951A (1994-09-01), None
Christian Kelly J.
Kenowski Mike
Willis Allan F.
Ballard Medical Products
Dority & Manning P.A.
Kennedy Sharon
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