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Introduction balloon catheter
| Details |
Inventors: Shturman, Leonid;
Assignee: Shturman Technologies, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN)
Primary Examiner: Rosenbaum; C. Fred
Assistant Examiner: Smith; Charles
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kahoi; Gregory P.
Apparatus and method for delivering over-sized or large bore devices through passageways in the body. The apparatus comprises an elongated inflatable balloon havinq an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the device to be introduced into the passageway. A guidewire may be utilized to assist introduction of the balloon into the bodily passageway. A device introduction chamber is attached at the proximal end of the balloon for temporarily housing the device being introduced into the passageway, and the device itself includes a delivery shaft at least partially disposed in the introduction chamber. An inflation device is provided for inflating the balloon with a biologically compatible fluid once the balloon has been inserted into the bodily passageway. The distal portion of the balloon is inserted into the bodily passageway, the balloon is then inflated to expand and straighten the passageway, and the device may then be advanced through the balloon into the passageway. The invention is particularly useful for introducing over-sized devices through smaller, secondary passageways into larger, primary passageways, such as through the femoral artery into the aorta. After the device has been advanced within the balloon into the larger, primary passageway, the balloon may be ruptured to free the device from the balloon, allowing to the device to be further advanced through the passageway to a destination such as the heart. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention provides an apparatus and method for delivering otherwise oversized devices through passageways in the body.
The apparatus comprises an elongated inflatable balloon having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the device to be introduced into the passageway.
A guidewire may be attached to the distal end of the balloon to assist introduction of the balloon into the bodily passageway.
A device introduction chamber is attached at the proximal end of the balloon for temporarily housing the device being introduced into the passageway, and the device itself includes a delivery shaft at 1east partia11y disposed in the introduction chamber.
Inflation means is provided for inflating the balloon once the balloon has been inserted into the bodily passageway.
The device is particularly useful in traversing narrowed portions of a bodily passageway, such as introducing a device through the narrowed (particularly atherosclerotically narrowed) femoral artery into the wider abdominal aorta.
The method therefore comprises the steps of inserting at least the distal portion of the uninflated balloon into the bodily passageway (preferably advancing at least the distal end past the narrowed portion of the passageway that must be traversed), inflating the balloon to expand and straighten (if necessary) the passageway, and then advancing the device from the introduction chamber into the distal portion of the balloon.
In a preferred embodiment, the balloon is configured so that the device can be freed from the balloon.
Preferably this is accomplished by configuring the balloon so that it can be ruptured near its distal end to free the device, allowing the device to be advanced through the wider passageway to its destination (such as advancing through the aorta to the heart).
Such rupture may be accomplished through any suitable means.
Preferably the rupture in the balloon is longitudinally oriented, and thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the balloon includes a longitudinal weakness so that upon over-inflation of the balloon the balloon will rupture along the longitudinal weakness
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Heart Surgery 
