# US 5,700,242 A · Balloon catheter and method for facilitating increased radial expansion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,700,242 A - Document ID: US5700242A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/562,307 - Filed: 1995-11-22 - Granted: 1997-12-23 - Earliest claimed: 1994-11-22 - Assignees: Cordis Corporation - Inventors: Hugo Mulder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5700242A ## CPC - A61M 25/10: Balloon catheters ({A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02;} inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 {; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00}) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A balloon catheter incorporates a tubular shaft which defines an inflation lumen communicating with a flexible, relatively inelastic balloon. The balloon catheter is constructed to allow the proximal and distal ends of the balloon to shift toward each other during inflation, thereby allowing the balloon to exhibit increased radial expansion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A balloon catheter for use by a health care professional in performing a medical procedure, comprising: a tubular shaft having proximal and distal ends and defining an inflation lumen; a substantially inelastic balloon having an initial length and being disposed near said tubular shaft distal end; wherein said inflation lumen is in fluid communication with the interior of said balloon to conduct a pressurized fluid into the interior of said balloon to inflate said balloon; wherein said tubular shaft defines at least two elongated openings disposed on said shaft member within said balloon, whereby said openings define at least a first and second strip member adapted to collapse and bow outwardly and to longitudinally shorten said shaft member during inflation of said balloon; and wherein said balloon is adapted to expand to a first inflated profile while said balloon is said initial length, and is adapted to longitudinally shorten upon inflation, thereby allowing a portion of said balloon to radially expand wider said first inflated profile. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 1, wherein an interior portion of said tubular shaft is enclosed by the balloon, a proximal and distal end of the balloon being affixed to the tubular shaft, and the balloon is adapted to impart a compressive force at said proximal and distal ends on the interior portion of the tubular shaft as the pressurized fluid inflates the balloon thereby shortening the balloon. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 2, wherein said shaft member is resilient and tends to lengthen upon reduction of the pressure of said pressurized fluid, urging the balloon to lengthen and thereby reducing the deflated profile of said balloon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the openings are arranged in at least two longitudinally separated groups, wherein a portion of said shaft member between said groups is free of said openings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 4, wherein each opening is longer than the portion of said shaft member between said groups. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a guidewire lumen defined by said tubular shaft adapted to slidingly receive a guidewire. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least two openings are longitudinally coextensive and are equally divided around an outer surface of said shaft member. ### Claim 8 A medical catheter for performing angioplasty with a balloon having increased radial expansion to provide a larger effective inflated profile, while exhibiting a relatively small deflated profile adapted for percutaneous insertion, comprising: a balloon catheter adapted to be inserted within the vasculature of a patient, said catheter defining an inflation lumen and a guidewire lumen, said balloon catheter having proximal and distal ends, a substantially inelastic balloon disposed near said distal end, a shaft member extending through said balloon, and an outer shaft surrounding said shaft member, the outer shaft member being sealed to a proximal and distal end of the balloon, said inflation lumen being defined by an annular space between said outer shaft and said shaft member, and communicating with an interior of the balloon to conduct a pressurized fluid from outside the patient into the interior of the balloon, thereby to inflate the balloon from a deflated profile to an inflated profile; wherein the balloon is adapted to expand to a first inflated shape when the balloon is an initial length, and to impart a compressive force on the outer shaft member at the proximal and distal ends of the balloon sealed to the outer shaft member as the pressurized fluid inflates the balloon; and wherein the outer shaft member is adapted to collapse and shorten upon inflation of the balloon, thereby shortening the balloon and allowing a portion of said balloon to expand wider than said first inflated shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The balloon catheter as set forth in claim 8, wherein said outer shaft member is resilient and tends to lengthen upon reduction of the pressure of said pressurized fluid, urging the balloon to lengthen and thereby reducing the deflated profile of said balloon. ### Claim 10 A balloon catheter for use by a health care professional in performing a medical procedure, comprising: a tubular shaft having proximal and distal ends, and an outer shaft surrounding said tubular shaft, an inflation lumen being defined by an annular space between said outer shaft and said shaft member; a substantially inelastic balloon having an initial length and being disposed near said tubular shaft distal end; wherein said inflation lumen is in fluid communication with the interior of said balloon and is adapted to conduct a pressurized fluid from said tubular shaft proximal end into an interior of said balloon to inflate said balloon; and wherein said balloon is adapted to expand to a first inflated profile while said balloon is said initial length, and is adapted to longitudinally shorten upon inflation, thereby allowing a portion of said balloon to radially expand wider said first inflated profile. ### Claim 11 A method of performing an interventional medical therapy procedure in the body of a patient, comprising the steps of: a) providing a balloon catheter having a proximal hub coupled with a shaft member and an outer tubular shaft surrounding said shaft member, and a substantially inelastic balloon disposed near a distal end of the tubular shaft, said balloon catheter having an inflation lumen communicating with the balloon being defined by an annular space between said outer tubular shaft and said shaft member; b) inserting the balloon catheter within the body of said patient; c) conducting a pressurized fluid from said proximal hub through said inflation lumen into the interior of the balloon; d) inflating the balloon from a deflated profile to a first inflated profile; e) causing said balloon to shorten and further expand to a second inflated profile that is wider than said first inflated profile. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step following said step d) of causing a portion of the outer tubular shaft to bow outwardly and shorten. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the step following said step e) of relieving the pressure of said pressurized fluid and allowing said portion of the outer tubular shaft to resiliently increase in length, thereby lengthening the balloon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as set forth in claim 11, whereby said step b) causes a longitudinal axis of said tubular shaft to assume an uninflated shape, and said step d) further comprising the step of maintaining said longitudinal axis in said uninflated shape.