Support catheter assembly

An angioplasty device for use in a vascular procedure in which a balloon dilatation catheter is advanced by a physician into the vasculature of a patient through a previously inserted guiding catheter and beyond the distal end of the guiding catheter into a coronary artery of the patient to the region of a stenotic lesion to be dilated, said device comprising:

• a tubular body having a base portion disposed at a proximal end thereof, and having a continuous lumen therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end thereof, said lumen having a cross-section and a length, the cross-section of said lumen being large enough to permit passage therethrough of a balloon of the balloon dilatation catheter, said tubular body being short relative to the balloon catheter and being configured to be advanced over the balloon dilatation catheter and to pass through the guiding catheter to the region of the lesion, said device being constructed to permit the physician to maintain control of the dilatation catheter at all times during the PTCA procedure;
• and
• a proximal member that is thin relative to said tubular body and is connected to said tubular body and extends proximally therefrom for providing communication between said tubular body and a region outside of the body of the patient,
• wherein said tubular body is further sized and constructed to be inserted into a dilated area of the stenotic lesion and maintained in place to inhibit restenosis of the lesion.

A method for treating a patient having a restricted stenotic region in a coronary artery, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting into the patient a guiding catheter having a distal end and positioning the guiding catheter so that the distal end of the guiding catheter is positioned in the vicinity of the ostium of the patient;
• inserting a PTCA balloon catheter through the guiding catheter to the vicinity of the restricted region of the patient's coronary artery;
• dilating the restricted stenotic region with the PTCA balloon catheter;
• inserting a device beyond the distal end of the guiding catheter and into a selected site in the dilated region of the coronary artery to prevent restenosis of the dilated region at that site, said device comprising
• a tubular body having a base portion disposed at a proximal end thereof, and having a continuous lumen therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end thereof, said lumen having a cross-section and a length, the cross-section of said lumen being large enough to permit passage therethrough of the balloon of the balloon dilatation catheter, said tubular body being short relative to the balloon catheter and being configured to be advanced over the balloon dilatation catheter and to pass through the guiding catheter to the region of the lesion, said device being constructed to permit the physician to maintain control of the dilatation catheter at all times during the PTCA procedure, and
• a proximal member that is thin relative to said tubular body and is connected to said tubular body and extends proximally therefrom for providing communication between said tubular body and a region outside of the body of the patient.