Apparatus and method for treating a disease process in a luminal structure
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorJUDAH Z. WEINBERGER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for treating a disease process in a luminal structure comprises a balloon catheter having a central balloon and two edge balloons. The central balloon may be separately inflated temporally and with different radioactive fluid than the edge balloons. Other arrangements include a wire, stent and concentric balloons, which provide spatial and temporal control enabling differential radioactivity at different spatial locations along the structure.
Claims32
An apparatus for treating a disease process in the vicinity of a luminal structure, comprising:
- a catheter shaft;
- a radioactive material carrier providing a spatially varying radioactivity along the length of the shaft.
An apparatus for treating a disease process in the vicinity of a luminal structure, comprising:
- a catheter shaft having at least first and second inflation lumens defined longitudinally therein;
- a first balloon mounted on said shaft and in fluid communication with the first inflation lumen;
- and
- a second balloon mounted on said shaft at a different longitudinally position from said first balloon, and in fluid communication with the second inflation lumen, to thereby allow separate inflation and deflation of said first and second balloon segments.
An apparatus for treating a disease process in the vicinity of a luminal structure, comprising:
- a catheter shaft having at least first and second inflation lumens defined longitudinally therein;
- a central balloon mounted on said shaft and in fluid communication with the first inflation lumen;
- and
- two edge balloons mounted on said shaft on either side of the central balloon, both edge balloons being in fluid communication with the second inflation lumen.
A method for treating a disease process in the vicinity of a luminal structure, comprising:
- positioning inside a luminal structure a source of radioactive material having a spatially varying distribution;
- and
- removing the source of radioactive material after a treatment period.
A method for treating a disease process in the vicinity of a luminal structure, comprising:
- providing a balloon catheter having at least two separably inflatable balloons mounted on a catheter shaft at different longitudinally positions on the shaft;
- inserting the balloon catheter into the luminal structure of a subject;
- inflating the two balloons separately with radioactive fluid;
- removing the respective radioactive fluid from the two balloons;
- and
- removing the balloon catheter from the luminal structure.
A method for treating a disease process in the vicinity of a luminal structure, comprising:
- providing a balloon catheter having at least three inflatable balloons mounted on a catheter shaft at different longitudinally positions on the shaft, including a middle balloon and two side balloons at opposite sides of the middle balloon;
- inserting the balloon catheter into the luminal structure of a subject;
- inflating the balloons with radioactive fluid by inflating the middle balloon separately from the two side balloons;
- removing the radioactive fluid from the middle balloon and two side balloons;
- and
- removing the balloon catheter from the luminal structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.