Apparatus for increased dye flow
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsJoel R. Munsinger, Derek C. Sutermeister, Mark Steven Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Elongate tubular medical devices having increased fluid flow are disclosed. The elongate devices may have a parking space within a lumen for withdrawing a treatment device from the body while retaining the treatment device within the elongate device. The parking space may provide for a fluid flow through the elongate device that approximates a fluid flow through the elongate device in the absence of the treatment device.
Claims15
An apparatus comprising a catheter and a device that comprises an expandable element, comprising:
- an elongate member having a distal region and a proximal region, the distal region configured to be disposed within a patient's body and the proximal region configured to be disposed outside a patient's body, the elongate member having a lumen extending therethrough, wherein the device is insertable through the lumen;
- and
- a port in fluid communication with the lumen, the port disposed at a proximal end of the proximal region, and the port configured to inject fluid into the lumen, wherein the expandable element occupies a majority of a cross-sectional area of the lumen, wherein the lumen in the proximal region defines a space configured to contain the expandable element within the lumen but external to the patient's body, the space having a diameter and a length such that when the expandable element is in the space, fluid injected through the lumen proximal of the space flows around an outside of the expandable element and such that withdrawing the expandable element into the space from the distal region results in an increase in flow of injected fluid around the expandable element.
An apparatus comprising a catheter and a device that comprises an expandable element, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate member having a distal region configured to be disposed within a patient's body and a proximal region configured to be disposed outside a patient's body, and a lumen extending therebetween, wherein the device is insertable through the lumen, wherein the expandable element occupies a majority of a cross-sectional area of the lumen, and wherein the lumen defines a space configured to contain the expandable element;
- a port in fluid communication with the lumen, the port disposed at a proximal end of the proximal region, and the port configured to inject fluid into the lumen;
- and one or more side fluid path in the proximal region, the one or more side fluid path extending adjacent to and outside the lumen and joining a first location of the lumen to a second location of the lumen, wherein the first and second locations are spaced apart axially along the lumen, wherein the first location is distal to the space, and wherein the second location is proximal to the space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.