Locating side catheter branch relative to inflation portion
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsZachary J. Tegels, Adam Jennings, Tom Holman, Ben Arcand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A side catheter branch of a catheter assembly is oriented with respect to the main or side balloons of a catheter assembly. In some examples, the orientation is accomplished by connecting the side catheter branch to the main and/or side balloons or waist portions thereof. In other examples, the side catheter branch is positioned within the folds of the main or side balloons during assembly of the catheter assembly. In this manner, the side catheter branch remains in a known orientation with respect to the main and/or side balloons prior to and/or after deployment.
Claims17
A catheter assembly for deployment in a bifurcated vessel, the assembly comprising:
- (a) a catheter shaft including proximal and a distal portion;
- a balloon including a proximal waist, a distal waist and an inflatable portion extending therebetween, and an exterior surface the proximal waist being directly connected to the distal portion of the catheter shaft and the distal waist being directly connected to the distal portion of the catheter shaft;
- and
- a side catheter branch extending generally parallel to the distal portion of the catheter shaft, the side catheter branch defining a U-shaped portion that is bonded to the exterior surface of the balloon at a location proximal of the inflatable portion, wherein a distal end of the side catheter branch is configured to extend into a branch Vessel of the bifurcated vessel.
A method for forming a catheter assembly for deployment in a bifurcated vessel, the catheter assembly including a catheter shaft extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, a first inflatable portion, a second inflatable portion, and a side catheter branch, the second inflatable portion configured to extend radially outward from the first inflatable portion, the method comprising:
- coupling a proximal waist of the first inflatable portion to the distal end portion of the catheter shaft;
- coupling a distal waist of the first inflatable portion to the distal end portion of the catheter shaft;
- forming a U-shaped in an outer surface of the side catheter branch;
- positioning the U-shaped section over the proximal waist of the first inflatable portion;
- and
- bonding the side catheter branch to an exterior surface of the second inflatable portion at a first connection location and bonding the U-shaped section of the side catheter branch to the proximal waist of the first inflatable portion at a second connection location, the side catheter branch extending generally parallel to the distal end portion of the catheter shaft and configured to extend into a branch vessel of the bifurcated vessel.
A catheter assembly for deployment in a bifurcated vessel, the bifurcated vessel including a main vessel and a branch vessel, the assembly comprising:
- a catheter shaft including a proximal region and a distal region, the catheter shaft defining a main guidewire lumen, the catheter shaft configured to extend through the main vessel of the bifurcated vessel;
- a main balloon disposed about at least a portion of the distal region of the catheter shaft;
- a side balloon including a side proximal waist and a side distal waist, the side proximal waist being connected to the distal region of the catheter shaft and the side distal waist being connected to the distal region of the catheter shaft;
- and
- a side catheter branch extending adjacent to at least the distal region of the catheter shaft and defining a secondary guidewire lumen, the side catheter branch defining a U-shaped portion that contacts the side balloon at a location on the exterior surface of the side balloon, wherein the side catheter branch is bonded to the exterior surface of the side balloon at the location, the side catheter branch configured to extend into the branch vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.