Esophageal balloon catheter with visual marker
AssigneeGordis Corporation
InventorsLeonard van Sloten, Cornelius Wee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A balloon catheter for use with an endoscope may have a flexible shaft extending between a proximal and distal end, with a hub affixed to the proximal end, and a balloon that has one or more visual markers. An additional optional feature is that the markers(s) may be color-coded.
Claims20
A balloon catheter for use with an endoscope, comprising:
- a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
- the shaft defining an inflation lumen;
- a balloon defining an interior and being made of translucent balloon material which is substantially inelastic;
- the balloon having an inflatable portion extending between a proximal and distal balloon portion, each proximal and distal balloon portion being affixed to the catheter shaft;
- the balloon having at least one visual marker;
- wherein the balloon is affixed to the catheter shaft near its distal end;
- and the inflatable portion includes a cylindrical working portion arranged between a proximal and distal tapering portion;
- the balloon in an initial configuration being deflated pleated and wrapped around the catheter shaft;
- wherein visual markers are positioned at a longitudinal center of the balloon and at proximal and distal ends of the cylindrical working portion of the balloon;
- and
- wherein the central visual marker is thinner the markers at the proximal and distal ends of the cylindrical working portion;
- a hub affixed to the proximal end of the shaft and defining at least an inflation port;
- such that the inflation lumen communicates between the inflation port and the balloon;
- wherein the visible marker is visible with an endoscope.
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The balloon catheter of claim 18, wherein the angle defined by the distal tapering portion with respect to the longitudinal axis is approximately 45 degrees, and the angle defined by the proximal tapering portion is approximately 80 degrees.
A balloon catheter for use with an endoscope, comprising:
- a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
- the shaft having an inner member and an outer tubular body;
- the outer body surrounding at least a portion of the inner member and defining an inflation lumen;
- a balloon defining an interior and being made of translucent balloon material which is substantially inelastic;
- the balloon having an inflatable portion extending between a proximal and distal balloon portion, each proximal and distal balloon portion being affixed to the catheter shaft;
- the balloon having at least one visual marker;
- wherein the balloon is affixed to the catheter shaft near its distal end;
- and the inflatable portion includes a cylindrical working portion arranged between a proximal and distal tapering portion;
- the balloon in an initial configuration being deflated;
- pleated and wrapped around the catheter shaft;
- a hub affixed to the proximal end of the shaft and defining at least an inflation port;
- such that the inflation lumen communicates between the hub and the balloon;
- wherein the proximal and distal tapering portions each define an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the angle defined by the proximal tapering portion is steeper than the angle defined by the distal tapering portion and;
- wherein the visual marker is color-coded, the color of the visual marker indicating a size of the balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.