EP0461474B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Balloon catheter with sleeve
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1991-05-29
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Granted: 1994-07-20
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Expires: 2011-05-29
Abstract
Abstract In the area of its distal operational end, and in the area of a balloon (2) which is present there and which can be dilated to provide as uniform as possible a treatment of stenoses (3), which can also contain hard areas or structures (5), the catheter (1) has a sleeve (6) or film made of hard, resilient material, which sleeve (6) can be pressed against the stenosis (3) and the vessel wall by means of the dilation of the balloon (2). The hard material of the sleeve (6) prevents the balloon from missing the hard structures (5) by yielding to them, and prevents the hard structures (5) from remaining in place. By means of the protective covering (15) or the use of a resilient material for the sleeve (6), or the combination of these measures, it is possible to ensure that, when the balloon (2) returns to its initial shape, the sleeve (6) also returns automatically and independently to its initial position and to its initial size, so that it can again be removed easily, together with the catheter (1), from the vessel (4) or a hollow organ. <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Martin Prof. Dr. Med. Kaltenbach
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M25/104; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1075; A61M2025/1081
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
247 words
A catheter (1) having at its distal operative end an expansible area, particularly a balloon (2) for treating constrictions (3) in vessels (4) or hollow organs, at least part of the expansible area being covered by at least one sleeve (6) of hard, bendable, elastic material reaching over the circumference of the expansible area, the edges (9, 10) or edge areas (7, 8) of said sleeve - which run transversely of the circumferential direction and in particular contact or overlap each other in the starting position being movable relative to each other in a circumferential direction through the expansion as pressure is exerted against the wall of the vessel or organ to be treated, so that the sleeve (6) is expansible in its cross section against the restoring force resultant from the elasticity, characterized in that the sleeve (6) consists of springy material and is adapted to be restored automatically to its original shape as the circumference of the expansible area reduces, that the sleeve (6) is connected to the expansible area, to the feed tube (12) of the catheter or to a guide catheter surrounding the catheter (1), that the sleeve (6) has at least one slit (13), notch or like reduction running in the circumferential direction and transversely of the edges (9, 10) or edge areas (7, 8) or is composed of individual sleeve pieces integrally connected or subsequently connected by webs (14), and that the sleeve (6) is bendable transversely of its longitudinal expanse.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
70 words
A catheter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the edge area (8) which in the starting position lies beneath an overlapping edge area (7) of the sleeve (6) is firmly connected, e.g. adhesively secured or welded, to the expansible area and/or that one of the edge areas (7, 8) is connected to the feed tube (12) of the catheter (1) by way of at least one connecting web.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
A catheter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sleeve takes the form of a tubular plastic catheter (16), the expansible area being adapted to be introduced therein, and that at the location receiving the expansible area the plastic catheter is slit approximately in a longitudinal direction, in particular has at least two or more longitudinal slits (17) distributed over the circumference and/or at least one slit arranged in the shape of a spiral.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sleeve (6) consists of slidable material, particular of plastics material and/or metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sleeve (6) has an elastic cover (15), for example of latex.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the extent of overlap of the edge areas (7, 8) of the sleeve (6) at their two longitudinal edges (9,10) movable relative to each other through expansion corresponds in the starting position at least to the amount of expansion of the catheter area in the circumferential direction and to the resulting circumferential enlargement.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sleeve consists of a foil and the length of unwinding of the foil composing the sleeve (6) approximates at least one and a quarter to one and a half times, particularly about double or three times the circumference of the expansible area in the starting position, or in the starting position the sleeve (6) consists of at least two layers or plies over at least a large part of its circumference.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the individual sleeve pieces are circumferentially offset, so that the overlapping longitudinal edges are staggered from sleeve piece to sleeve piece in a circumferential direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the edges (9, 10) of the sleeve (6) run in the shape of a spiral over its circumference and longitudinal expanse.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
A catheter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for expanding the sleeve against its restoring force and/or the restoring force of the cover (15), an initially compressed spring is provided, particularly one feedable through the guide catheter or the like and for instance in the shape of a small basket or spindle, said spring being adapted to be advanced from the guide catheter compressing it, into the interior of the sleeve (6), and to be retracted again for restoring the sleeve, or to be moved back relative to the guide catheter by advancing the latter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0246998A2
Cited
US4796629A
Cited
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