Torsionally rigid balloon dilatation probe

Claim 2

A balloon coronary angioplasty probe comprising: an elongate tubular proximal segment having a proximal end and a distal end; an elongate distal segment non-rotatably attached to the proximal segment and extending distally beyond the distal end of the proximal segment the distal segment being shorter and more flexible longitudinally than the proximal segment; a balloon mounted on the probe about the distal segment; the tubular proximal segment defining a lumen for communicating the proximal end of the probe with the interior of the balloon to enable inflation and deflation of the balloon, said lumen comprising the sole lumen of the probe, the lumen terminating at the balloon; the tubular proximal segment and said distal segment being sufficiently torsionally rigid and the distal segment being sufficiently longitudinally flexible so that when the probe is in a configuration corresponding to that of a human aortic arch and with the distal segment in a coronary artery, the probe is capable of transmitting controllably from its proximal to its distal end rotation applied at the proximal end.

Claim 3

A probe as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said balloon being adapted to be deflated to a cross sectional configuration of a pair of double thickness wings, said wings being foldable into an S-shape configuration or a C-shape configuration; the aggregate diameter of the distal segment of the probe including six times the wall thickness of the balloon being not greater than the diameter of the proximal segment of the probe.

Claim 4

A probe as defined in claim 2 wherein the balloon is inflatable to a diameter of approximately four times the diameter of the distal segment in the region of the balloon when the balloon is collapsed and folded.

Claim 5

A probe as defined in claim 1 further comprising said distal segment being approximately 25 centimeters long; the proximal segment of the probe being sufficiently flexible to bend smoothly through the human aortic arch; the distal segment being bendable through sharper radius bends than that of the human aortic arch.

Claim 6

A probe as defined in claim 1 further comprising: the distal segment comprising a support wire having a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the distal end of the proximal segment; the balloon being supported on the support wire with the support wire extending through the balloon; and means for communicating the lumen of the proximal tubular segment with the interior of the balloon.

Claim 7

A probe as defined in claim 5 wherein the means communicating the lumen of the tubular proximal segment with the interior of the balloon comprises: the tubular proximal segment having a wall and an outlet port formed in the distal portion of the wall, said outlet port being in communication with the interior of the balloon.

Claim 8

A probe as defined in claim 5 further comprising: a fitting attached to the proximal end of the proximal tube.

Claim 9

A probe as defined in claim 6 further comprising a fitting at the proximal end of the proximal tube.

Claim 10

A probe as defined in claim 5 further comprising: the distal end of the balloon being attached to the distal segment of the probe; and the proximal end of the balloon being attached to the proximal segment.

Claim 11

A probe as defined in claim 5 further comprising: the distal segment having a flexible leader segment which extends distally of the balloon.

Claim 12

A probe as defined in claim 10 further comprising: said leader segment having a tip constructed and arranged as to be bent to a preset curve to facilitate steering of the probe in response to rotation applied at the proximal end of the probe; the distal segment being not substantially greater than 25 centimeters in length; the proximal segment being of a length substantially greater than the distal segment.

Claim 13

A probe as defined in claim 10 wherein the leader segment includes the distal portion of the support wire, said leader segment further comprising a coil spring wound about the tapered distal portion of the support wire.

Claim 14

A probe as defined in claim 12 wherein the distal end of the balloon is adhesively attached to the proximal end of the coil spring.

Claim 15

A probe as defined in claim 1 further comprising: the distal segment having a flexible segment which extends distally of the balloon.

Claim 16

A probe as defined in claim 14 further comprising: said leader segment having a tip constructed and arranged as to be bent to a preset curve to facilitate steering of the probe in response to rotation applied at the proximal end of the probe.

Claim 17

A probe as defined in claim 14 wherein the leader segment includes a longitudinally flexible coil spring.

Claim 18

A balloon coronary angioplasty probe as defined in claim 1 further comprising: the distal segment being attached to the distal end of the proximal segment.

Claim 19

A small diameter, low profile balloon coronary angioplasty probe comprising: an elongate wire-like shaft including an elongate tubular proximal wire-like segment having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate tubular proximal segment comprising metallic tubing; the shaft further including an elongate distal segment extending distally beyond the distal end of the proximal segment, the distal segment being shorter and more flexible longitudinally, than the proximal segment; a balloon mounted on the probe about the distal segment; and the tubular proximal segment defining a lumen for communicating the proximal end of the probe with the interior of the balloon to enable inflation and deflation of the balloon; the tubular proximal segment of the shaft and the distal segment of the shaft being sufficiently torsionally rigid, and the distal segment being longitudinally flexible, so that when the probe is in a configuration corresponding to that of a human aortic arch and with the distal segment in a coronary artery, the probe is capable of transmitting controllably from its proximal end to its distal end rotation applied at the proximal end.

Claim 20

A small diameter, low profile balloon coronary angioplasty probe comprising: an elongate wire-like shaft including an elongate tubular proximal wire-like segment having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate tubular proximal segment comprising metallic tubing; the shaft further including an elongate distal segment extending distally beyond the distal end of the proximal segment, the distal segment being shorter and more flexible longitudinally, than the proximal segment; a balloon mounted on the probe about the distal segment; and the tubular proximal segment defining a lumen for communicating the proximal end of the probe with the interior of the balloon to enable inflation and deflation of the balloon; the tubular proximal segment of the shaft and the distal segment of the shaft being sufficiently torsionally rigid, and the distal segment being longitudinally flexible, so that when the probe is in a configuration corresponding to that of a human aortic arch and with the distal segment in a coronary artery, the probe is capable of transmitting controllably from its proximal end to its distal end rotation applied at the proximal end.

Claim 21

A probe as defined in claim 18 wherein said metallic tubing comprises hypodermic tubing.