Vascular guiding catheter assembly and vascular dilating catheter assembly and a combination thereof and methods

Claim 2

In a combination of a guiding catheter assembly and a dilating cathe-ter assembly, the guiding catheter assembly comprising a first flexible tubular member formed of a material which has a low coefficient of friction, a second flexible tubular member encasing said first tubular member so that the first tubular member fits tightly in the second tubular member, said combined first and second tubular members having proximal and distal ends and a fitting mounted on the proximal end, the dilating catheter assembly comprising a flexible tubu-lar member, said tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly having proximal and distal ends and an inflatable annular portion formed integral with the tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly near the distal end there-of, a fitting mounted on the proximal end of the tubular member of the dilating catheter assembly, said dilating catheter assembly being disposed within said guiding catheter assembly and means for inflating and deflating said inflatable annular portion.

Claim 3

A combination as in claim 1 wherein the second tubular member of said guiding catheter assembly has greater rigidity than said first tubular member of said guiding catheter assembly.

Claim 4

A combination as in claim 2 wherein said first tubular member of the guiding catheter assembly is formed of a tetrafluoroethylene polymer.

Claim 5

A combination as in claim 1 wherein said first and second tubular mem-bers of said dilating catheter assembly are coaxial.

Claim 6

In a combination of a guiding catheter assembly and a dilating cathe-ter assembly, the guiding catheter assembly comprising a first flexible tubular member formed of a material which has a low coefficient of friction below .05, a second flexible tubular member encasing said first tubular member so that the first tubular member fits tightly in the second tubular member to combine the first and second tubular members, said combined first and second tubular mem-bers having proximal and distal ends and a fitting mounted on the proximal end, the dilating catheter assembly comprising first and second tubular members, said first tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly surrounding said second tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly, said first tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly having proximal and distal ends and an inflatable annular portion formed integral with the tubular member near the distal end thereof, means forming a fluid-tight seal between the first and the second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly in a region between the inflatable annular portion and the distal ends of the first and second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly, a fitting mounted on the proximal ends of the first and second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly, means forming a fluid passageway from the proximal ends of the first and second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly extending into the inflatable annular portion, said dilating catheter assembly being disposed within said guiding catheter assembly and means for inflating said inflatable annular portion with a radiographic contrast liquid.

Claim 7

In a combination of a guiding catheter assembly and a dilating cathe-ter assembly, the guiding catheter assembly comprising a first flexible tubular member formed of a material which has a low coefficient of friction below .05, a second flexible tubular member encasing said first tubular member so that the first tubular member fits tightly in the second tubular member to combine the first and second tubular members, said combined first and second tubular mem-bers having proximal and distal ends and a fitting mounted on the proximal end, the dilating catheter assembly comprising first and second tubular members, said first tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly surrounding said second tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly, said first tubular member of said dilating catheter assembly having proximal and distal ends and an inflatable annular portion formed integral with the tubular member near the distal end thereof, means forming a fluid-tight seal between the first and the second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly in a region between the inflatable annular portion and the distal ends of the first and second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly, a fitting mounted on the proximal ends of the first and second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly, means forming a fluid passageway from the proximal ends of the first and second tubular members of the dilating catheter assembly extending into the inflatable annular portion, said dilating catheter assembly being disposed within said guiding catheter assembly and means for inflating said inflatable annular portion with a radiographic contrast liquid.