No preparation balloon guide catheter

A system for preparing a balloon guide catheter, the system comprising:

• a catheter, comprising:
• an elongated tubular member comprising:
• a proximal end;
• a distal end;
• an outer surface;
• and
• a first inner surface defining an inner hollow lumen extending therethrough, the inner hollow lumen at least partially eccentric to the elongated tubular member;
• a second inner surface defining an inflation lumen extending therethrough;
• a proximal luer comprising:
• an inner lumen;
• an inflation port sized to receive fluid injection;
• a mandrel hub sized to receive a mandrel;
• and
• an air seal disposed in the mandrel hub preventing air ingress to the inflation lumen of the elongated tubular member;
• a mandrel removably disposed within the mandrel hub and further comprising a tab extending proximally from the proximal port of the mandrel hub external to the luer configured to enable the removal of the mandrel from the mandrel hub and the full volume of the inflation lumen;
• and
• a seamless balloon in fluidic communication with the inflation lumen.

A method for preparing a balloon guide catheter, the method comprising:

• selecting a balloon guide catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, an inner hollow lumen, an inflation sleeve defining an inflation lumen, a balloon, and a proximal luer having a luer lumen;
• positioning an air seal within a mandrel hub of the luer which prevents air ingress to the luer lumen;
• disposing a removeable mandrel through the air seal in the mandrel hub and extending the removeable mandrel distally to occupy the full volume of the inflation lumen, the removable mandrel comprising a proximal tab;
• accessing a patient's vasculature using conventionally-known techniques;
• advancing the balloon guide catheter into the vasculature;
• filling the luer lumen with an inflation media through an inflation port of the proximal luer;
• creating a vacuum in the inflation lumen by pulling the proximal tab to extract the mandrel from the mandrel hub so that the inflation media from the luer lumen fills the inflation lumen along the length of the catheter;
• and
• inflating the balloon by injecting the inflation media through the inflation port of the luer proximal luer.