Minimally Invasive Intravascular Treatment Device

A protective sheath for fitting to a device for treating a target area of a vessel wall of a vessel within a human or animal body, the device comprising:

• a) an expandable portion for radially expanding the device from a contracted configuration allowing travel within the vessel to the target area to an expanded configuration allowing treatment of the target area,
• b) at least one treatment implement extending radially outwardly from the expandable portion,
• the protective sheath adapted to be stretch-fitted over the expandable portion to exert a compressive force on the expandable portion for radially contracting the device from it expanded configuration to its contracted configuration, and comprising at least one collapsible treatment implement guard wherein in the device's contracted configuration the implement is at least partially shielded by the guard, and in its expanded configuration the guard collapses to expose the implement for contact with the target area of the vessel wall;
• the guard being arranged to expel fluid from the device under the collapsing action of the guard.

A protective sheath for fitting to a device for treating a target area of a vessel wall of a vessel within a human or animal body, the device comprising:

• a) an expandable portion for radially expanding the device from a contracted configuration allowing travel within the vessel to the target area to an expanded configuration allowing treatment of the target area,
• b) at least one treatment implement extending radially outwardly from the expandable portion,
• the protective sheath adapted to be fitted over the expandable portion to exert a compressive force on the expandable portion for radially contracting the device from it expanded configuration toward its contracted configuration, and comprising at least one collapsible treatment implement guard wherein in the device's contracted configuration the implement is at least partially shielded by the guard, and in its expanded configuration the guard collapses to expose the implement for contact with the target area of the vessel wall;
• the guard being arranged to expel fluid from the device under the collapsing action of the guard.

A sheath for fitting to a balloon catheter for treating a target area of a vessel wall of a vessel within a human or animal body, the sheath adapted to be stretch-fitted over the balloon to exert a compressive force on the balloon for radially contracting the balloon from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration, the sheath comprising:

• at least one treatment implement mounted within the sheath so as to extend radially outwardly from the balloon, and
• at least one collapsible treatment implement guard,
• wherein in the device's contracted configuration the implement is at least partially shielded by the guard, and in its expanded configuration the guard collapses to expose the implement for contact with the target area of the vessel wall;
• the guard being arranged to expel fluid from the device under the collapsing action of the guard.

A device for treating a target area of a vessel wall of a vessel within a human or animal body, the device comprising:

• a) an expandable portion for radially expanding the device from a contracted configuration allowing travel within the vessel to the target area to an expanded configuration allowing treatment of the target area;
• b) a protective sheath stretch-fitted over a first region of the expandable portion to exert a compressive force on the expandable portion for radially contracting the device from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration, and for exerting a compressive force on the expandable portion in its contracted configuration;
• c) at least one treatment implement on the protective sheath and extending radially outwardly from the expandable portion;
• and
• d) at least one collapsible treatment implement guard on the protective sheath wherein in the device's contracted configuration the implement is at least partially shielded by the guard, and in its expanded configuration the guard collapses to expose the implement for contact with the target area of the vessel wall;
• the guard being arranged to expel fluid from the device under the collapsing action of the guard.

A method of treating one or more target areas of a vessel wall within a human or animal body, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a device comprising:
• an expandable portion for radially expanding the device from a contracted configuration allowing travel within the vessel to the target area to an expanded configuration allowing treatment of the target area;
• a protective sheath stretch-fitted over the expandable portion to exert a compressive force on the expandable portion for radially contracting the device from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration, and for exerting a compressive force on the expandable portion in its contracted configuration;
• at least one treatment implement extending radially outwardly from the expandable portion, wherein in the device's contracted configuration the implement is shielded within the protective sheath, and in its expanded configuration the thickness of the sheath decreases to expose the implement for contact with the target area of the vessel wall;
• and
• at least one collapsible treatment implement guard wherein in the device's contracted configuration the implement is at least partially shielded by the guard, and in its expanded configuration the guard collapses to expose the implement for contact with the target area of the vessel wall;
• the guard being arranged to expel fluid from the device under the collapsing action of the guard.
• b) inserting the device in its contracted configuration into the interior of the vessel;
• c) advancing the device through the vessel to reach the target area;
• d) providing an expansive force to expand the expandable portion to expose the implements for contact with the vessel wall;
• e) removing the expansive force to allow the compressive force of the sheath to radially contract the device from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration;
• f) repeating steps c) to e) until all target areas have been treated;
• and
• g) withdrawing the device from the vessel.