Method for removing and replacing a coronary balloon catheter during coronary angioplasty

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the Drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts throughout the six views, FIG.
1 is a cross-sectional view of the double catheter 10 according to the present invention.
The double catheter 10 comprises a guiding catheter 20 and a substantially smaller diameter auxiliary balloon catheter 30 disposed axially therein.
Guiding catheter 20 is a conventional aortic catheter of the type commonly used in coronary angioplasty.
An auxiliary balloon catheter 30 has a closed, distal end 32, a balloon 36 located near the distal end 32 thereof, and a proximal end 33 containing a port 34.
The distal end 32 and balloon 36 of catheter 30 are located inside the lumen 21 of guiding catheter 20.
The proximal end 33 is disposed outside of the guiding catheter 20 through an opening 22 in the wall thereof.
Balloon 36 of catheter 30 is affixed to the lumen wall of the guiding catheter 20 so that movement of catheter 30 in guiding catheter 20 is restrained.
Fluid may be injected through port 34 to inflate balloon 36 as needed.
When inflated, balloon 36 completely obstructs the inside lumen 21 of the guiding catheter 20.
When the fluid is withdrawn through port 34, balloon 36 will deflate, but will remain affixed to the inside wall of guiding catheter 20.
The double catheter 10 of the present invention may be used to quickly and easily remove and replace coronary balloon catheters during coronary angioplasty.
At the beginning of the procedure, the physician selects a coronary balloon catheter of predetermined size and positions the coronary balloon catheter in the coronary artery via guiding catheter 20.
During the procedure, however, the physician may need to replace the balloon for any of several reasons--the balloon may be too large or too small to force the blockage from the coronary artery, it may be insufficiently flexible for the procedure, or it may have some other defect requiring replacement.
FIGS.
2 and 3 show double catheter 10 of the present invention during various stages of a coronary angioplasty involving balloon replacement