Extraluminal balloon dissection apparatus and method

Abstract

A balloon dissection apparatus for forming an anatomic working space alongside an elongate vessel in a body having a tunneling shaft having proximal and distal extremities. A flexible elongate substantially cylindrical balloon is carried by the tunneling shaft and has proximal and distal extremities. The balloon has at least a portion of the distal extremity folded inwardly into the balloon to shorten the length of the balloon so that the folded balloon has a length which is not substantially greater than the length of the tunneling shaft. An inflation tube is coupled to the balloon for inflating the balloon to cause the distal folded extremity to evert and roll outwardly to provide an inflated balloon having a length greater than the length of the tunneling shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.