Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
1 . A system for percutaneously inserting a biological valve prosthesis in an implantation site that includes an elongated catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, an elongated inflatable balloon mounted at the distal end of said catheter, said balloon being connected to means for inflating and deflating said balloon, a protective shield slidably mounted upon said catheter for movement between a first closed position wherein said balloon is located under the shield and a second open position wherein said shield is moved back clear of said shield to free said balloon for inflation, a center lumen passing through said catheter, said center lumen being fabricated of stainless steel tubing such that the torque ratio between the distal end and the proximal end of the catheter is about one to one.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
1 . A system for percutaneously inserting a biological valve prosthesis in an implantation site that includes an elongated catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, an elongated inflatable balloon mounted at the distal end of said catheter, said balloon being connected to means for inflating and deflating said balloon, a protective shield slidably mounted upon said catheter for movement between a first closed position wherein said balloon is located under the shield and a second open position wherein said shield is moved back clear of said shield to free said balloon for inflation, a center lumen passing through said catheter, said center lumen being fabricated of stainless steel tubing such that the torque ratio between the distal end and the proximal end of the catheter is about one to one.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein said stainless steel tubing has an inside diameter of about 0.39″.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
3 . The system of claim 1 that further includes an elongated sheath slidably mounted upon the catheter, said sheath having a proximal end and a distal end wherein said distal end of said sheath is connected to said shield.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
4 . The system of claim 3 wherein the axial length of catheter is greater than the axial length of said sheath such that an extended length of catheter having an axial length that is equal to or slightly greater than that of the shield protrudes rearwardly from the proximal end of the sheath when said shield is in the first closed position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
5 . The system of claim 4 that further includes index markings on the extended length of said catheter indicting the position of the sheath where the shield is in either the open position or the closed position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
6 . The system of claim 1 that further includes a guide wire that slidably contained within the center lumen of said catheter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
7 . The system of claim 1 that further includes a fluid barrier slidably contained upon the proximal end of said sheath that is insertable into an incision into a body lumen through which said catheter is passed into the implantation site.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
8 . The system of claim 7 wherein said barrier includes a tubular body section for passing into the incision and a radially extended end flange for contacting the incision entrance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
9 . The system of claim 1 that further includes a biological venous valvular prosthesis mounted upon the catheter balloon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
10 . The system of claim 9 wherein said prosthesis includes an expandable stent and a biological vein containing a valve mounted inside said stent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the vein wall is reduced in thickness between 50% and 90% of its original thickness.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
87 words
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein said stent contains a plurality of ribbon sections each of which is fabricated from a strand of fine wire with the sections being interconnected to form a tubular member, each wire ribbon section contains a periodic series of substantially sinusoidal shaped bends along the length of said ribbon section wherein each bend contains an apex that is welded to an apex on an adjacent ribbon section, said welds being weaker than the tensile strength of the fine wire strands.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the wire is fabricated of an alloy containing 90% platinum and 10% indium.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
14 . The system of claim 13 wherein said wire has a tensile strength of between 150,000 and 175,000 psi.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
15 . The stent of claim 14 which is cylindrical in form when expanded and said welds are contained within a region bounded by the inside diameter and the outside diameter of the expanded stent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
16 . The system of claim 1 that further includes a contoured nose cone mounted at the distal end of the catheter in front of the balloon.