Centering balloon structure for transluminal angioplasty catheter

Claim 1

A laser enhanced transluminal angioplasty catheter, including: a length of pliable catheter tubing having proximal and distal ends and being insertable by its distal end into an artery, and means forming a first lumen in said catheter tubing extending from its proximal end to the distal end; an optical fiber in said first lumen for transmitting laser energy from the proximal end of the catheter tubing to the distal end; a catheter balloon mounted to said catheter tubing in surrounding relation thereto at a distal region of the catheter tubing such that a distal tip of the catheter tubing extends slightly beyond said balloon; means forming a second lumen in said catheter tubing, extending from the proximal end of the catheter tubing to a point near said distal end and open to the interior of said balloon; said balloon, in response to a fluid supplied under pressure through said second lumen, dilating to a generally cylindrical configuration to engage a segment of said artery to substantially axially align said balloon and said arterial segment about a central axis; and wherein said balloon, when is said cylindrical configuration, includes a distal wall substantially perpendicular to said central axis and joined with respect to said distal tip in surrounding relation thereto, said distal wall tending to position said distal tip parallel to said balloon and spaced apart from said arterial segment.

Claim 7

An apparatus for controllably positioning the distal tip of a catheter with respect to a segment of an artery in which the catheter is inserted, including: a pliable length of catheter tubing having proximal and distal ends and being insertable by a distal end thereof into an artery; means forming an optical fiber lumen in said tubing from the proximal end to the distal end of said tubing, and an optical fiber contained in said lumen for transmitting laser energy to said distal end, said optical fiber being positionable distally beyond a distal tip of said tubing; and a catheter balloon attached to a distal region of said catheter tubing in surrounding relation to said tubing and adjacent said distal tip, said balloon adapted to undergo dilatation and assume a cylindrical configuration in response to a balloon inflation means, thereby to engage a segment of said artery and coaxially align said balloon and arterial segment about a central axis; said balloon when in said cylindrical configuration including a distal wall substantially normal to said central axis and connected to said distal tip, for positioning said distal tip coaxially on said central axis and in paced apart relation to said arterial segment.

Claim 8

An apparatus for controllably positioning the distal tip of a catheter with respect to a segment of an artery in which the catheter is inserted, including: a pliable length of catheter tubing having proximal and distal ends and being insertable by a distal end thereof into an artery; means forming an optical fiber lumen in said tubing from the proximal end to the distal end of said tubing, and an optical fiber contained in said lumen for transmitting laser energy to said distal end, said optical fiber being positionable distally beyond a distal tip of said tubing; and a catheter balloon attached to a distal region of said catheter tubing in surrounding relation to said tubing and adjacent said distal tip, said balloon adapted to undergo dilatation and assume a cylindrical configuration in response to a balloon inflation means, thereby to engage a segment of said artery and coaxially align said balloon and arterial segment about a central axis; said balloon when in said cylindrical configuration including a distal wall substantially normal to said central axis and connected to said distal tip, for positioning said distal tip coaxially on said central axis and in paced apart relation to said arterial segment.