Method and apparatus for sizing stents
OwnerDaniel Lucas, Kosuke Inoueinventors
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for sizing stents is provided by employing a thin-walled, compliant, silicone rubber or elastomer balloon catheter into a patient's artery to determine plaque size, contours and plaque length. One or both ends of the catheter may incorporate a radiopaque material to locate the catheter and enable the length and size of the stent to be determined. The catheter may incorporate one or more sensors to determine the density and contours of the plaque. Additionally, one or more relief bores may be incorporated into the catheter to permit blood flow during the short period of time when the artery is blocked, thereby reducing the possibility of oxygen starvation of the heart, brain and other organs.
Claims19
A balloon catheter manufactured of a cured silicone elastomer or rubber, for insertion into an artery, and the like of a patient which encloses a plaque material, the catheter when inflated being compliant with the contours of the plaque, with reduced damage to the plaque.
A balloon catheter suitable for insertion in an artery, and the like, of a patient, and adjacent a plaque area of the artery, the catheter including one or more micro chip sensors adapted to detect one or more of:
- length, thickness, structure and contours of the plaque.
A method of sizing a stent for insertion into an artery, and the like, for expansion into an area of plaque material, the method comprising inserting a compliant, cured silicone rubber or elastomer balloon catheter into the plaque area, expanding the balloon against the plaque material, thereby determining plaque contour and effective length of the plaque material without substantial damage to the plaque, withdrawing the catheter, and sizing the stent depending on the aforesaid determination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.