US 4,784,133 AGranted

Working well balloon angioscope and method

OwnerRobert A. Mackininventor

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Abstract

A transparent plastic collapsible balloon is attached to the distal end of a flexible bronchoscope or angioscope. The inflatable balloon has a cavity or "working well" at its distal end which communicates by means of a tube with the central channel of the angioscope. Separate channels of the angioscope allow inflation of the balloon after it has been introduced into a vein or artery and visualization of tissue against which the distal end of the balloon is pressed. A laser fiber, forceps, or other instrument can be passed through the central channel of the angioscope, and through an opening in the distal end of the balloon into the working well cavity to allow lasing or other procedures to be performed on tissue abutted by the balloon and isolated by the working well cavity, and to also allow direct visualization of such procedures. Accurate visualization of the operating of lasing, use of the forceps to obtain biopsies or to remove foreign objects, and other intravascular procedures can thereby be achieved.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An angioscope comprising in combination:

(a) a flexible catheter having first, second and third channels therein and a proximal end and a distal end;
(b) an inflatable transparent balloon having a first opening and a second opening located opposite to the first opening;
(c) first means for producing a seal between the portion of the transparent balloon around its first opening and the distal end of the catheter;
(d) a tube having a first end connected in communication with a distal end portion of the first channel and having a second end extending through the second opening of the balloon, the second and third channels opening into the interior of the transparent balloon;
(e) a second means for producing a seal between the portion of the transparent balloon around its second opening and the second end of the tube;
(f) third means passing through the second channel for producing light that emanates from the distal end of the catheter;
(g) fourth means passing through the third channel for effectuating viewing of the illuminated region from the proximal end of the catheter;
and
(h) fifth means passing through the first channel beyond the second end of the tube for interacting with tissue or substance illuminated through the wall of the transparent balloon by the third means and viewed through the fourth means and the wall of the transparent balloon.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.