Balloon dilatation catheter with varying radiopacity

Claim 1

A balloon angioplasty catheter comprising: an elongate longitudinally flexible tubular proximal segment having a proximal end and a distal end; an elongate distal segment extending distally beyond the distal end of the proximal segment, the distal segment being shorter and more flexible than the proximal segment and having nonuniform radiopacity; a balloon carried by the distal segment; the tubular proximal segment defining a lumen for communicating the proximal end of the catheter with the interior of the balloon to enable inflation and deflation of the balloon; the distal segment comprising a support wire having a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the distal end of the proximal segment and a highly radiopaque means carried by the support wire distally of the balloon; moderately radiopaque means carried by the support wire proximally of the highly radiopaque means and extending along a substantial length of the support wire; the balloon being supported on the support wire with the support wire extending through the balloon; means for communicating the lumen of the proximal tubular segment with the interior of the balloon; the proximal segment and support wire being sufficiently torsionally rigid so that when the catheter is in a configuration corresponding to that of a human aortic arch and with the distal segment in a coronary artery, the catheter is capable of transmitting controllably from its proximal to its distal end rotation applied at the proximal end.