Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
An angioplasty catheter, comprising: a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, with a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough; a fixed, steerable torquewire extending through at least a portion of said shaft and out of the distal end thereof; an angioplasty balloon on the distal end of said catheter operatively communicating with said balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of said balloon, wherein the proximal end of said balloon is attached to the distal end of said catheter shaft and the distal end of said balloon is attached to said torquewire; and a bailout lumen having a proximal opening and a distal opening, said lumen extending along said catheter shaft from a point within about 30 cm of the proximal end of the catheter to a point proximal to and within about 30 cm of said balloon, said bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire and having an outer wall, said outer wall further comprising a side port extending therethrough, located between said proximal opening and said distal opening, said side port adapted to permit a guidewire to extend therethrough to pass through a distal portion of the bailout lumen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
An angioplasty catheter, comprising: a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, with a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough; a fixed, steerable torquewire extending through at least a portion of said shaft and out of the distal end thereof; an angioplasty balloon on the distal end of said catheter operatively communicating with said balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of said balloon, wherein the proximal end of said balloon is attached to the distal end of said catheter shaft and the distal end of said balloon is attached to said torquewire; and a bailout lumen having a proximal opening and a distal opening, said lumen extending along said catheter shaft from a point within about 30 cm of the proximal end of the catheter to a point proximal to and within about 30 cm of said balloon, said bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire and having an outer wall, said outer wall further comprising a side port extending therethrough, located between said proximal opening and said distal opening, said side port adapted to permit a guidewire to extend therethrough to pass through a distal portion of the bailout lumen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The catheter of claim 1, wherein said outer wall is adapted to at least partially collapse into said bailout lumen when said bailout lumen is empty.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The catheter of claim 2, wherein only a distal portion of said outer wall of said bailout lumen is adapted to collapse when empty.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The catheter of claim 3, wherein a proximal portion of said outer wall is adapted to remain open when empty and is thicker than said collapsible distal portion thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The catheter of claim 1, wherein said side port is located within about 30 cm of the distal end of said bailout lumen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter further comprises guidewire removing means, adapted for removing a guidewire laterally out of said bailout lumen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The catheter of claim 6, wherein said guidewire removing means is adapted to permit removal of a guidewire from the bailout lumen beginning at the proximal end of said bailout lumen and progressing distally to within no more than 30 cm of said balloon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The catheter of claim 6, wherein said guidewire removing means comprises means for providing an opening through said outer wall extending longitudinally along said outer wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The catheter of claim 6, wherein said guidewire removing means comprises a slit extending longitudinally along at least 50% of the length of said outer wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The catheter of claim 6, wherein said guidewire removing means comprises a weakened area adapted to open into a slit extending longitudinally along at least 50% of the length of said outer wall.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The catheter of claim 10, wherein said outer wall has an open slit extending distally from the proximal end thereof to said weakened area.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The catheter of claim 6, wherein said guidewire removing means comprises a tear away strip forming at least a portion of said outer wall and adapted to tear away from said catheter and form an opening extending longitudinally along at least 50% of the length of said outer wall.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The catheter of claim 12, wherein said tear away strip is defined by two longitudinally extending parallel weakened areas of said outer wall.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The catheter of claim 13, wherein said tear away strip is further defined by two parallel formed slits extending from the proximal end of said outer wall to said weakened areas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The catheter of claim 13, wherein said outer wall is joined to said catheter shaft along two longitudinally-extending junctions, and said weakened areas comprise said junctions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The catheter of claim 6, wherein said guidewire removing means extends distally from the proximal opening of the bailout lumen along said outer wall to said side port.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
142 words
A method for performing bailout of a fixed wire angioplasty catheter, comprising: (a) advancing a first balloon catheter as defined in claim 1 into a patient's vascular system, wherein said vascular system includes a stenosis; (b) advancing a guidewire through the bailout lumen of said first catheter and out of the distal end of said bailout lumen into a position in said patient's vascular system; (c) removing said first balloon catheter from said patient while maintaining said guidewire in said position in the vascular system; and (d) inserting a proximal end of the guidewire into the distal end of the bailout lumen of a second balloon catheter as defined in claim 1, such that said guidewire extends through a distal portion of the lumen and out through the side port and advancing the second catheter into the vascular system of said patient.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps, after step (a) and before step (b), of: inflating and deflating the balloon of said first catheter in said stenosis; then advancing said first catheter forward until the distal end of the bailout lumen is advanced to or through said stenosis; whereby step (b) results in said guidewire extending into said stenosis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 17, wherein said guidewire is advanced into or through said stenosis in step (b), further comprising the step, after step (a) but before step (c), of: inflating and deflating the angioplasty balloon of said first catheter in said stenosis with said guidewire extending through said stenosis.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the angioplasty balloon of said first balloon catheter is inflated and deflated in said stenosis prior to step (b), and the guidewire is advanced past the deflated balloon in the stenosis in step (b).
Claim 22
Independent Claim
76 words
A method for performing balloon angioplasty, in bifurcation lesions, comprising: (a) advancing the balloon segment of a catheter as defined in claim into a first stenosis of the bifurcation in a patient's vascular system; (b) advancing a guidewire through the bailout lumen of said catheter and out of the distal end of the bailout lumen into a second stenosis of the bifurcation in said patient; and (c) inflating and deflating the balloon in said first stenosis.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 21, further comprising the subsequent steps of: (d) inserting the balloon into the second stenosis and the guidewire into the first stenosis; and (e) inflating and deflating the balloon in the second stenosis.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the subsequent step of: removing said first balloon catheter over said guidewire, and inserting a second catheter into the vessel over said guidewire.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
127 words
A method for performing bailout of a fixed wire angioplasty catheter, comprising: (a) inserting a proximal end of a guidewire into the distal end of the bailout lumen of a first balloon catheter as defined in claim 1, said guidewire already in place at a stenosis in a patient's vascular system such that said guidewire extends through a distal portion of the lumen and out through the side port and advancing the first balloon catheter into a patient's vascular system; (b) advancing the first balloon catheter into the stenosis and inflating and deflating the balloon to dilate said stenosis while said guidewire is in position in said stenosis; and (d) removing said first balloon catheter from said patient while maintaining said guidewire in position in said stenosis.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 24, further comprising the following step: (e) advancing a second catheter into the vascular system of said patient over said guidewire.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
186 words
An angioplasty catheter, comprising: a catheter shaft having a proximal end, a proximal portion, and a distal end, with a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough; a fixed, steerable torquewire extending through at least a portion of said shaft and out of the distal end thereof; an angioplasty balloon on the distal end of said catheter operatively communicating with said balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of said balloon, wherein the proximal end of said balloon is attached to the distal end of said catheter shaft and the distal end of said balloon is attached to said torquewire; and a bailout lumen extending along said catheter shaft from a point within about 30 cm of the proximal end of the catheter to a point proximal to and within about 30 cm of said balloon, said bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire, said bailout lumen having an outer wall, further comprising guidewire removing means in the outer wall of the bailout lumen, said guidewire removing means being adapted to permit a guidewire, extending through the bailout lumen, to be removed laterally through the outer wall.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
186 words
An angioplasty catheter, comprising: a catheter shaft having a proximal end, a proximal portion, and a distal end, with a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough; a fixed, steerable torquewire extending through at least a portion of said shaft and out of the distal end thereof; an angioplasty balloon on the distal end of said catheter operatively communicating with said balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of said balloon, wherein the proximal end of said balloon is attached to the distal end of said catheter shaft and the distal end of said balloon is attached to said torquewire; and a bailout lumen extending along said catheter shaft from a point within about 30 cm of the proximal end of the catheter to a point proximal to and within about 30 cm of said balloon, said bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire, said bailout lumen having an outer wall, further comprising guidewire removing means in the outer wall of the bailout lumen, said guidewire removing means being adapted to permit a guidewire, extending through the bailout lumen, to be removed laterally through the outer wall.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
129 words
A method for performing bailout of a fixed wire angioplasty catheter, comprising: (a) advancing a first balloon catheter as defined in claim 26 into a patient's vascular system, wherein said vascular system includes a stenosis; (b) advancing a guidewire through the bailout lumen of said first catheter and out of the distal end of said bailout lumen into a position in a stenosis in said patient's vascular system; (c) advancing the first balloon catheter into the stenosis and inflating and deflating the balloon to dilate said stenosis while said guidewire is in position in said stenosis; and (d) removing said first balloon catheter from said patient by laterally removing the guidewire through the guidewire removing means in the bailout lumen while maintaining said guidewire in position in said stenosis.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 27, further comprising the following step: (e) providing a second balloon catheter as defined in claim 1; (f) inserting a proximal end of the guidewire into the distal end of the bailout lumen, through the distal portion of the bailout lumen, and out through the side port; and (g) advancing the second catheter into the vascular system of said patient over said guidewire.