Dilation catheter assembly and related methods

A catheter assembly comprising,

• an elongated body having a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a dilatable bladder incorporated with said elongated body between the first end portion of the elongated body and the second end portion of the elongated body, the dilatable bladder being adapted to dilate in a radially outward direction from said elongated body,
• a thermally responsive indicator incorporated with at least a portion of said dilatable bladder, said thermally responsive indicator being adapted to visually change in response to a change in temperature,
• a cutting lumen extending from the first end portion of said elongated body to the second end portion of said elongated body, wherein an outer wall of said elongated body includes a cutting aperture in communication with said cutting lumen, and
• a surgical cutting wire anchored in said cutting lumen at a location between said cutting aperture and said second end portion of said elongated body, and extending axially from said location past said cutting aperture toward said first end portion of said elongated body, wherein said cutting lumen at said first end portion of said elongated body is adapted to enable an operator to extend said surgical cutting wire to cause a looped portion of said surgical cutting wire to protrude radially through said cutting aperture.

A catheter assembly comprising,

• an elongated body having a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a dilatable bladder incorporated with said elongated body between the first end portion of the elongated body and the second end portion of the elongated body, the dilatable bladder being adapted to dilate in a radially outward direction from said elongated body,
• a thermally responsive indicator incorporated with at least a portion of said dilatable bladder, said thermally responsive indicator being adapted to visually change in response to a change in temperature,
• a cutting lumen extending from the first end portion of said elongated body to the second end portion of said elongated body, wherein an outer wall includes a cutting aperture in communication with said cutting lumen, and
• a surgical cutting element adapted to extend axially from said first end portion through said cutting lumen toward said cutting aperture, wherein said cutting lumen at said first end portion of said elongated body is adapted to enable an operator to extend and retract said surgical cutting element radially through said cutting aperture.

A catheter assembly comprising,

• an elongated body having a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a dilatable bladder incorporated with said elongated body between the first end portion of the elongated body and the second end portion of the elongated body, the dilatable bladder being adapted to dilate in a radially outward direction from said elongated body,
• a thermally responsive indicator incorporated with at least a portion of said dilatable bladder, said thermally responsive indicator being adapted to visually change in response to a change in temperature, and
• a surgical cutting wire extending external to said elongated body from a first location proximal to a first end of said elongated body to a second location proximal to a second end of said elongated body, said surgical cutting wire disposed in a fixed relationship to said second location and in a moveable relationship with said first location, said first location being adapted to enable an operator to extend and retract said surgical cutting element to adjust an amount of radial protrusion of said cutting element from said elongated body.

A catheter assembly comprising,

• an elongated body having a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a dilatable bladder incorporated with said elongated body between the first end portion of the elongated body and the second end portion of the elongated body, the dilatable bladder being adapted to dilate in a radially outward direction from said elongated body, the dilatable bladder having an outer surface, and
• a thermally responsive indicator incorporated with at least a portion of said dilatable bladder, said thermally responsive indicator being adapted to visually change in response to a change in temperature, and
• a surgical cutting wire extending adjacent to said outer surface of said dilatable bladder from a first location proximal to the first end portion of said elongated body to a second location proximal to the second end portion of said elongated body, said surgical cutting wire disposed in a fixed relationship to said second location and in a moveable relationship to said first location.

A catheter assembly, comprising,

• an elongated body having a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a dilatable bladder coupled to said elongated body between the first end portion of the elongated body and the second end portion of the elongated body, the dilatable bladder being adapted to dilate in a radially outward direction from said elongated body,
• a thermally responsive indicator, at least a portion of said thermally responsive indicator being disposed on at least a portion of said dilatable bladder, said at least a portion of said thermally responsive indicator being adapted to visually change in response to a change in temperature, and
• a detector element adapted for detecting the visual change of said at least a portion of said thermally responsive indicator.