Intravascular catheter with bailout feature

An angioplasty catheter, comprising:

• a catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal portion, an outer wall, a distal end, and an interior lumen extending therethrough, and a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough;
• an angioplasty balloon mounted on the distal portion of said catheter operatively communicating with said balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of said balloon;
• and
• a bailout lumen attached to the outer wall of said catheter shaft, said bailout lumen having a proximal opening and a distal opening, said lumen extending along said catheter shaft from a point within about 30 cm of the proximal end of the catheter to a point proximal to and within about 30 cm of said balloon, said bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire and having an outer wall, said outer wall further comprising a side port extending therethrough, located near said distal opening, said side port adapted to permit a guidewire to extend therethrough to pass through a distal portion of the bailout lumen.

An angioplasty catheter, comprising:

• a catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal portion, an outer wall, a distal end, and an interior lumen extending therethrough, and a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough;
• an angioplasty balloon on the distal portion of said catheter operatively communicating with said balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of said balloon;
• and
• a bailout lumen attached to said outer wall of said catheter shaft, said bailout lumen having a proximal opening and a distal opening, said lumen extending along said catheter shaft from a point within about 30 cm of the proximal end of the catheter to a point proximal to and within about 30 cm of said balloon, said bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire and having an outer wall, said outer wall further comprising guidewire removing means extending from the proximal opening of the bailout lumen distally toward the balloon at least 30 cm., said guidewire removing means being adapted to permit a guidewire extending through the bailout lumen to be removed laterally through the outer wall.