Angioplasty balloon catheter for treating vascular disease

A balloon catheter comprising:

• an elongated member having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen extending at least partially through the elongated member;
• and
• an inflatable member proximally affixed to the elongated member adjacent to the distal end and in fluid communication with the at least one lumen, the inflatable member having a radius R and including at least two lobes, the at least two lobes separated from each other by one or more waist portions;
• wherein in an unpressurized state, the at least two lobes of the inflatable member are provided each folded and pleated, such that subsequent pressurization of the inflatable member individually unfolds each of the at least two lobes;
• wherein in a pressurized state, a segmentation of the inflatable member into the at least two lobes:
• distributes, and thereby reduces a torsional load that is transferred between the inflatable member and an area to be treated;
• controllably conveys opposing axial forces between the at least two lobes at the one or more waist portions, and thereby reduces an amount of axial load that is transferred between the inflatable member and the area to be treated;
• and
• controllably conveys equidirectional radial forces between the at least two lobes and around the one or more waist portions that differ in magnitude from the radial forces conveyed by the at least two lobes, thereby directing away radial stress from a vessel wall around the one or more waist portions;
• wherein the combination of the opposing axial and equidirectional radial forces around the one or more waist portions create variable directional forces that, when conveyed onto a portion of the area to be treated, controllably induce stress inflection points that result in the preferential formation of lesion fractures at each of said one or more waist portions of the inflatable member.