Method and apparatus for providing external perfusion lumens on balloon catheters

A catheter sleeve comprising:

• a flexible tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central lumen therethrough, wherein at least a portion of the tubular body is radially expansible as a result of a radial expansion force applied in the central lumen within said portion;
• and
• one or more channels disposed over said radially expansible portion of the tubular body, wherein the channels define flow paths between the tubular body and a surrounding blood vessel wall.

A method for perfusing blood past a treatment site within a blood vessel, said method comprising:

• positioning a sleeve having a central lumen at said treatment site, said sleeve defining at least one flow path thereover, wherein said flow path provides both axial flow and radially inward and outward flow over substantially its entire length;
• and
• applying a radial force within the central lumen to expand the sleeve within the treatment site while blood flows past the expanded sleeve through said at least one flow path and radially in and out of the flow path over substantially the entire expanded length of the sleeve.

An improved method for treating a target location within a blood vessel, said method being of the type wherein a balloon is expanded against an interior wall of the blood vessel, wherein the improvement comprises providing radially open perfusion flow paths over an outer surface of the balloon, whereby blood flow is established through said perfusion paths.

A catheter sleeve comprising:

• a flexible tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central lumen therethrough, wherein at least a portion of the tubular body is axially split to permit radial expansion as a result of a radial expansion force applied in the central lumen within said portion;
• and
• means over a radially expansible portion of the tubular body near the distal end for establishing blood perfusion flow.

A method for perfusing blood past a treatment site within a blood vessel, said method comprising:

• positioning a sleeve having a central lumen at said treatment site, said sleeve defining at least one flow path thereover and being axially split in the region of the flow path;
• and
• applying a radial force within the central lumen to expand the sleeve within the treatment site while blood flows past the expanded sleeve through said at least one flow path, wherein radial expansion causes circumferential separation of the axial split(s).

A catheter sleeve comprising:

• a flexible tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central lumen therethrough, wherein at least a portion of the tubular body is radially expansible as a result of a radial expansion force applied in the central lumen within said portion;
• and
• at least one perfusion lumen integrally formed as a single extrusion as part of the tubular body near the distal end for establishing blood perfusion flow.

A method for perfusing blood past a treatment site within a blood vessel, said method comprising:

• positioning a sleeve having a central lumen at said treatment site, said sleeve including at least one perfusion lumen integrally formed as a single extrusion thereover;
• and
• applying a radial force within the central lumen to expand the sleeve within the treatment site while blood flows past the expanded sleeve through said at least one perfusion lumen.