Steerable dilatation catheter with rotation limiting device

Claim 2

In a steerable dilatation catheter assembly, an adapter having at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by a distal portion thereof, the distal extremity of the balloon being bonded to the guide wire to form a liquid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon, a flexible tip secured to the guide wire and means secured to the guide wire and carried by the arm for limiting the rotation of the guide wire through a number of turns less than a predetermined number of turns to prevent undue twisting of the balloon.

Claim 3

An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the rotation of the guide wire includes a rotatable member, means securing the guide wire to the rotatable member and means engaging the rotatable member for preventing rotation of the rotatable member for more than a predetermined number of turns.

Claim 4

An assembly as in claim 2 wherein said means for preventing rotation of the rotatable member more than a predetermined number of turns includes a plurality of superposed discs, each of the discs including cooperative protrusion and recess means.

Claim 5

In a steerable dilatation catheter assembly, an adapter having at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by a distal portion thereof, the balloon having a distal extremity, the distal extremity of the balloon being bonded to the guide wire to form a liquid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon, a flexible tip secured to the guide wire and means secured to the guide wire and carried by the arm for limiting the rotation of the guide wire through a number of turns less than a predetermined number of turns, said means for limiting rotation of the guide wire including a rotatable member, means securing the guide wire to the rotatable member and means engaging the rotatable member for preventing rotation of the rotatable member for more than a predetermined number of turns including a plurality of superposed discs, each of the discs including cooperative protrusion and recess means, said rotatable member being in the form of a housing having a cylindrical recess therein, said discs being disposed in said cylindrical recess.

Claim 6

In a steerable dilatation catheter assembly, an adapter having at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by a distal portion thereof, the balloon having a distal extremity, the distal extremity of the balloon being bonded to the guide wire to form a liquid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon, a flexible tip secured to the guide wire and means secured to the guide wire and carried by the arm for limiting the rotation of the guide wire through a number of turns less than a predetermined number of turns, said means for limiting rotation of the guide wire including a rotatable member, means securing the guide wire to the rotatable member and means engaging the rotatable member for preventing rotation of the rotatable member for more than a predetermined number of turns including a plurality of superposed discs, each of the discs including cooperative protrusion and recess means, said rotatable member being in the form of a housing having a cylindrical recess therein, said discs being disposed in said cylindrical recess.

Claim 7

In a steerable dilatation catheter assembly, an adapter having at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by a distal portion thereof, the distal extremity of the balloon being bonded to the guide wire to form a liguid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon, a flexible tip carried by the guide wire, means secured to the guide wire and carried by the arm for rotating the guide wire and means for limiting the rotation of the guide wire at the proximal end to less than approximately four turns, the guide wire having sufficient torsional rigidity so that with the use of said turns, the tip will be rotated through substantially 360° while preventing undue twisting of the balloon.

Claim 8

In a steerable dilatation catheter assembly, an adapter having at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by a distal portion thereof, the distal extremity of the balloon being bonded to the guide wire to form a liguid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon, a flexible tip carried by the guide wire, means secured to the guide wire and carried by the arm for rotating the guide wire and means for limiting the rotation of the guide wire at the proximal end to less than approximately four turns, the guide wire having sufficient torsional rigidity so that with the use of said turns, the tip will be rotated through substantially 360° while preventing undue twisting of the balloon.

Claim 9

A dilatation catheter as in claim 5 wherein a major portion of said guide wire has a diameter in excess of 0.013 of an inch.

Claim 10

A dilatation catheter as in claim 5 wherein said means for causing rotation of said guide wire includes a thumb screw mounted in said one arm and having a guide wire extending therethrough the means carried in said one arm and engaged by the thumb screw for forming a liquid-tight seal between the guide wire and said one arm, a torque knob rotatably mounted in the thumb screw and having the guide wire secured thereto so as the torque knob is rotated the guide wire is rotated and means disposed between the torque knob and the thumb screw for limiting rotational movement of the torque knob with respect to the thumb screw to at least approximately two turns.

Claim 11

A dilatation catheter as in claim 7 together with a stop member carried by the torque knob, said stop member being positioned so that it is adapted to engage the thumb screw to prevent movement of the torque knob axially of the thumb screw beyond a predetermined distance.

Claim 12

A catheter assembly as in claim 8 wherein said stop member includes a protrusion extending above the torque knob to facilitate rotation of the torque knob.

Claim 13

A catheter assembly as in claim 7 wherein said means disposed between said torque knob and said thumb screw includes a rotation limiter disc, said rotation limiter disc having a radially extending protrusion carried thereby and pins carried by said torque knob and said thumb screw and being positioned so that they are adapted to engage the protrusion of the rotation limiter disc as the torque knob is rotated.

Claim 14

A catheter assembly as in claim 7 wherein said means disposed between said torque knob and said thumb screw includes first and second rotation limiter discs having radially extending protrusions, and pin carried by at least one of said protrusions adapted to engage the protrusion of the other rotation limiter disc and pins carried by the torque knob and the thumb screw and adapted to engage the protrusion of a rotation limiter disc.

Claim 15

A catheter assembly as in claim 5 wherein said control adapter is provided with two additional arms together with a bleed wire extending through one of the two additional arms, the other of the two additional arms being adapted to receive a radiopaque contrast liquid into the balloon for inflating the balloon.

Claim 16

A catheter assembly as in claim 5 wherein a major portion of the guide wire has a diameter of approximately 0.016 of an inch, wherein an intermediate distal portion of the guide wire has a diameter of approximately 0.008 of an inch and wherein the extreme distal portion of the guide wire has a dimension of approximately 0.002 of an inch.

Claim 17

In a rotation limiting device for use with a steerable dilatation catheter having an adapter with at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by the distal portion thereof, the balloon having a distal extremity which is bonded to the guide wire to form a liquid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon and a flexible tip secured to the guide wire, the rotation limiting device comprising a rotatable member, means adapated to secure the guide wire to the rotatable member, and means including a plurality of superposed discs engaging the rotatable member for preventing rotation of the rotatable member for more than a predetermined number of times, each of said discs including cooperative protrusion and recess means.

Claim 18

In a rotation limiting device for use with a steerable dilatation catheter having an adapter with at least one arm, a guide wire having proximal and distal ends with the proximal end extending through the adapter, a flexible tubular member having one end secured to the adapter and extending over the guide wire and having a balloon carried by the distal portion thereof, the balloon having a distal extremity which is bonded to the guide wire to form a liquid-tight seal between the guide wire and the balloon and a flexible tip secured to the guide wire, the rotation limiting device comprising a rotatable member, means adapated to secure the guide wire to the rotatable member, and means including a plurality of superposed discs engaging the rotatable member for preventing rotation of the rotatable member for more than a predetermined number of times, each of said discs including cooperative protrusion and recess means.

Claim 19

A device as in claim 14 wherein said rotatable member is in the form of a housing having a cylindrical recess therein and wherein said discs are disposed in said cylindrical recess.

Claim 20

A device as in claim 15 together with an adapter and wherein the housing and the adapter each are provided with a cooperative means to cooperate with the discs.

Claim 21

A device as in claim 16 wherein each disc is provided with a recess extending through substantially 360° and a protrusion which is adapted to seat in the recess of another disc.

Claim 22

A device as in claim 15 wherein said housing is provided with a stem and in which the discs are rotatably mounted on the stem.