Rapidly exchangeable coronary catheter

Abstract

Abstract A rapidly exchangeable balloon dilatation catheter for accessing the coronary arteries of a human comprising: an elongate wire-like shaft having proximal and distal ends and including a proximal tubular member formed from hypotubing (28). The shaft has sufficient column strength to enable it to be advanced through a patient's vasculature to the coronary arteries and the proximal tubular member has a lumen (36) extending through it. A distal tubular member (32) is secured to the distal region of the shaft and is sufficiently flexible to access the coronary arteries but itself has insufficient column strength for such access without additional support. The distal tubular member (32) has an inflation lumen (40) extending longitudinally therein and a proximal end in fluid communication with the lumen (36) of the hypotubing, the inflation lumen (40) being in communication with a balloon inflation port (42). The distal tubular member (32) also includes a longitudinally extending guidewire lumen (44) to receive a guidewire (12) and distal and proximal ports (33,46), the guidewire lumen (44) extending from the distal region of the shaft to the distal end of the catheter and over a distance such that when a guidewire (12) is positioned through the guidewire lumen (44), the column strength of the distal tubular member (32) is increased, the guidewire and the shaft together supplying support along the length of the catheter. An inflatable, relatively inelastic balloon (34) is mounted on the distal tubular member (32) with its distal end (54) sealingly attached to the distal end of the distal tubular member (32) and its interior in fluid communication with the inflation lumen (40) through the inflation port (42).

Inventors

• 👤 Christine D. Enger

Bibliographic Details