Single lumen balloon catheter and method for its intraluminal introduction

Claim 1

A method for introducing a balloon catheter over a guide wire, said method comprising: providing a guide wire having a constant diameter over substantially the entire length of the guide wire, and a catheter body with an inflation lumen, a balloon and a guide wire port at a distal end of the inflation lumen, said guide wire port being dimensioned slightly larger than said constant diameter of said guide wire; loading the catheter body over a proximal end of the guide wire, wherein an annular clearance is established between the guide wire and the guide wire port; axially translating the catheter body over the guide wire to position the balloon at a target location within a body lumen of a patient; positioning the guide wire port of the catheter body over the guide wire; inflating the balloon of the catheter body with a liquid inflation medium through the inflation lumen, wherein the guide wire port permits free movement of the guide wire relative to the guide wire port and wherein the annular clearance has an area which concurrently permits minor leakage of said liquid inflation medium from said balloon through said annular clearance while substantially inhibiting loss of the inflation medium from said balloon through said annular clearance while the balloon is inflated.

Claim 2

A method for introducing a balloon catheter over a guide wire, said method comprising: providing a guide wire having a constant diameter over substantially the entire length of the guide wire, and a catheter body with an inflation lumen, a balloon and a guide wire port at a distal end of the inflation lumen, said guide wire port being dimensioned slightly larger than said constant diameter of said guide wire; loading the catheter body over a proximal end of the guide wire, wherein an annular clearance is established between the guide wire and the guide wire port; axially translating the catheter body over the guide wire to position the balloon at a target location within a body lumen of a patient; positioning the guide wire port of the catheter body over the guide wire; inflating the balloon of the catheter body with a liquid inflation medium through the inflation lumen, wherein the guide wire port permits free movement of the guide wire relative to the guide wire port and wherein the annular clearance has an area which concurrently permits minor leakage of said liquid inflation medium from said balloon through said annular clearance while substantially inhibiting loss of the inflation medium from said balloon through said annular clearance while the balloon is inflated.

Claim 17

A method for introducing a balloon catheter over a guide wire, said method comprising: providing a catheter body with an inflation lumen, a balloon and a guide wire port at a distal end of the inflation lumen, and a guide wire having a constant diameter portion and a distal end portion said guide wire port being dimensioned slightly larger than said constant diameter portion of said guide wire port; loading the catheter body over a proximal end of the guide wire, wherein an annular clearance is established between the guide wire and the guide wire port; axially translating the catheter body over the guide wire to position the balloon at a target location within a body lumen of a patient; inflating the balloon of the catheter body with a liquid inflation medium through the inflation lumen, wherein the guide wire port permits free movement of the constant diameter portion of the guide wire and wherein an annular clearance has an area which concurrently permits minor leakage of said liquid inflation medium from said balloon through said guide wire port while substantially inhibiting loss of inflation medium while the balloon is inflated; and moving the distal end portion of the guide wire through the guide wire port into the inflation lumen to allow the liquid inflation medium to pass through the guide wire port into the body lumen.

Claim 18

A method for introducing a balloon catheter over a guide wire, said method comprising: providing a catheter body with an inflation lumen, a balloon and a guide wire port at a distal end of the inflation lumen, and a guide wire having a constant diameter portion and a distal end portion said guide wire port being dimensioned slightly larger than said constant diameter portion of said guide wire port; loading the catheter body over a proximal end of the guide wire, wherein an annular clearance is established between the guide wire and the guide wire port; axially translating the catheter body over the guide wire to position the balloon at a target location within a body lumen of a patient; inflating the balloon of the catheter body with a liquid inflation medium through the inflation lumen, wherein the guide wire port permits free movement of the constant diameter portion of the guide wire and wherein an annular clearance has an area which concurrently permits minor leakage of said liquid inflation medium from said balloon through said guide wire port while substantially inhibiting loss of inflation medium while the balloon is inflated; and moving the distal end portion of the guide wire through the guide wire port into the inflation lumen to allow the liquid inflation medium to pass through the guide wire port into the body lumen.