Dual balloon catheter

Claim 1

A method of closing an opening in a first blood vessel which comprises introducing the closed end of a catheter into a second blood vessel remote from and communicating with said first blood vessel; the said catheter being formed of an elongated tube having a central bore extending the length thereof, said bore being closed at one end of said catheter and having means for introducing a pressurized fluid into said bore at the other end of said catheter, said catheter further including first balloon forming structure disposed about said tube adjacent the closed end of said catheter, second balloon forming structure disposed about said tube spaced along the length thereof apart from said first balloon forming structure, each said balloon forming structure having an expandable cylindrical wall enclosing said tube and sealed at the ends thereof to said tube thereby trapping an annular closed space between said wall and said tube, and first and second ports in said tube communicating the interior bore thereof with said closed spaces trapped by said walls of said first and said second balloon forming structures, respectively; advancing said catheter in said blood vessels to a position in said first blood vessel with said first and second balloon forming structures disposed on opposite sides of said opening; introducing fluid under pressure into said catheter through said means at the other end of said catheter thereby causing said fluid to flow into said closed spaces and expanding said walls to an oblate shape blocking flow of blood in said first blood vessel; surgically closing said opening while retaining pressure on said fluid; removing pressure from said fluid after closing said opening thereby to deflate said balloon forming structures; and removing said catheter from said blood vessels.

Claim 2

A method of closing an opening in a first blood vessel which comprises introducing the closed end of a catheter into a second blood vessel remote from and communicating with said first blood vessel; the said catheter being formed of an elongated tube having a central bore extending the length thereof, said bore being closed at one end of said catheter and having means for introducing a pressurized fluid into said bore at the other end of said catheter, said catheter further including first balloon forming structure disposed about said tube adjacent the closed end of said catheter, second balloon forming structure disposed about said tube spaced along the length thereof apart from said first balloon forming structure, each said balloon forming structure having an expandable cylindrical wall enclosing said tube and sealed at the ends thereof to said tube thereby trapping an annular closed space between said wall and said tube, and first and second ports in said tube communicating the interior bore thereof with said closed spaces trapped by said walls of said first and said second balloon forming structures, respectively; advancing said catheter in said blood vessels to a position in said first blood vessel with said first and second balloon forming structures disposed on opposite sides of said opening; introducing fluid under pressure into said catheter through said means at the other end of said catheter thereby causing said fluid to flow into said closed spaces and expanding said walls to an oblate shape blocking flow of blood in said first blood vessel; surgically closing said opening while retaining pressure on said fluid; removing pressure from said fluid after closing said opening thereby to deflate said balloon forming structures; and removing said catheter from said blood vessels.