Catheters
AssigneeSmiths Industries Public Limited Company
InventorsKenneth J. Brooks, Michael A. Wilkinson, Peter H. Hannam, Neil A. Whiteside
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dilatation catheter has a shaft comprising a tube of braided material encapsulated over a major portion of its length in an outer coating of semi-rigid inelastic material. An outer coating of elastic material extends over a minor portion of the length of the shaft at or near its distal end. An inner coating of elastic material is provided over the entire length of the inside of the tube. The distal end portion of the catheter is thereby inflatable by pressure applied from within the shaft to form a balloon. Radio-opaque markers may be provided at each end of the inflatable portion.
Claims48
A dilatation catheter wherein a shaft of the catheter comprises a tube of material having an inelastic coating of semi-rigid material extending from the proximal end of the catheter over a major portion of the length of the shaft and also having an elastic outer coating extending over a minor portion of the length of the shaft, a passage in said tube communicating with said minor portion to provide a path for the application of inflating fluid thereto, whereby the said minor portion is inflatable in response to the application of the inflating fluid, said tube comprising braided material having a preselected maximum radial extension to limit the extent of inflation of said elastic coating, said major and minor portions being contiguous with each other and the coatings being bonded to said braided material.
A dilatation catheter wherein a shaft of the catheter comprises a tube of material having an inelastic coating of semi-rigid material extending from the proximal end of the catheter over a major portion of the length of the shaft and also having an elastic outer coating extending over a minor portion of the length of the shaft, a passage in said tube communicating with said minor portion to provide a path for the application of inflating fluid thereto, whereby the said minor portion is inflatable in response to the application of the inflating fluid, said tube comprising braided material having a preselected maximum radial extension to limit the extent of inflation of said elastic coating, said catheter further comprising an inner tube of impervious elastic material located inwardly of the braided material and extending over the length of the catheter.
A dilatation catheter wherein a shaft of the catheter comprises a tube of braided material having a coating bonded to the outer surface thereof, having a coating bonded to the outer surface thereof, at least a portion of which is elastic the catheter having a major portion of its length over which the braided material has more picks per unit length than it has over a minor portion said elastic portion extending over said minor portion, a passage in said tube communicating with said minor portion to provide a path for the application of inflating fluid thereto, whereby the said minor portion is inflatable in response to the application of the inflating fluid, and said major portion is not, said major and minor portions being contiguous with one another.
A dilatation catheter wherein a shaft of the catheter comprises a tube of braided material having a coating on the outer surface thereof, at least a portion of which is elastic the catheter having a major portion of its length over which the braided material has more picks per unit length than it has over a minor portion, said elastic portion extending over said minor portion, a passage in said tube communicating with said minor portion to provide a path for the application of inflating fluid thereto, whereby the said minor portion is inflatable in response to the application of the inflating fluid, and said major portion is not, said catheter further comprising an inner tube of impervious elastic material located inwardly of the braided material and extending over the length of the catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.