Delivery catheter having expandable elements
AssigneeVolcano Corporation
InventorsJason Sproul, Timothy K. Glynn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is a delivery catheter, e.g., a guide catheter, having expandable elements proximate to the distal end of the catheter. Catheters of the invention are easier to place in proximity to an ostium, thereby increasing the efficiency of contrast delivery while reducing the risk of ischemia due to blocked blood supply. The invention additionally directs the flow of a fluid from the catheter, resulting in better performance with less fluid. For example, a catheter of the invention can be used to produce improved fluoroscopic images with less overall contrast. This improvement also decreases the length of time for a procedure, i.e., because of a need to re-contrast.
Claims12
A delivery catheter comprising:
- an elongated member having a proximal connector, a distal luminal opening, and a delivery lumen providing fluid communication between the proximal connector and the distal luminal opening;
- and
- an expandable element disposed proximate to the distal luminal opening and adapted to expand to a diameter greater than the diameter of a distal tip of the elongated member.
A method for delivering fluid to a vein or artery, comprising:
- inserting a delivery catheter into a vein or artery, the delivery catheter having:
- a proximal connector and a distal luminal opening and a delivery lumen providing fluid communication between the proximal connector and the distal luminal opening, and
- an expandable element proximate to the distal luminal opening and in fluid communication with the delivery lumen;
- and
- delivering a pressurized fluid through the delivery lumen thereby expanding the expandable element and delivering the pressurized fluid to the vein or artery via the distal luminal opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.