Catheter having a balloon with retention enhancement

Claim 1

A retrograde cardioplegia catheter for supplying perfusion liquid to a coronary sinus vein through an orifice in the coronary sinus vein, the catheter comprising; a body receivable in a coronary sinus vein by way of an orifice in the coronary sinus vein opening into a heart chamber; the body having a longitudinal centerline, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite from the proximal end; an infusion lumen formed within the body and extending between the ends thereof; the infusion lumen having at least one outlet at the distal end for discharge of liquid from the lumen; an expandable sealing member surrounding the body proximally of the outlet, the sealing member having an exterior surface and being receivable in the orifice in its unexpanded state and radially expandable so that at least a portion of the exterior surface engages a wall of the coronary sinus to form a seal closing the orifice; a series of barbed protuberances integrally formed on the exterior surface of the sealing member to enhance the purchase between the coronary sinus wall and the sealing member in the expanded state thereby increasing resistance to removal of the sealing member from the coronary sinus and loss of the seal, each of the barbed protuberances comprising: a proximal surface having a base edge provided on the expandable sealing member, the proximal surface being arcuately convex and extending outwardly and proximally from the exterior surface of the sealing member in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body; and an upper surface extending outwardly and proximally from the exterior surface of the sealing member, the upper surface and proximal surface terminating at a common, upper edge.