209 results about "Balloon dilatation" patented technology

A delivery system and method for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the aortic valve annulus. The system includes a delivery catheter having a steering mechanism thereon for delivering a balloon-expandable prosthetic heart valve to the aortic annulus in an antegrade fashion through an introducer passing into the left ventricle through its apex. The introducer may have a more floppy distal section than a proximal section to reduce trauma to the heart wall while preserving good operating field stability. The delivery catheter includes a deflecting segment just proximal to a distal balloon to facilitate positioning of the prosthetic heart valve in the proper orientation within the aortic annulus. A trigger in a catheter handle may be coupled to a deflection wire that actuates the deflecting segment, while a slider in the handle controls retraction of a valve pusher. The prosthetic heart valve may be installed over the existing calcified leaflets, and a pre-dilation valvuloplasty procedure may also be utilized.

A system and method for deploying balloon-expandable (i.e., plastically-expandable) prosthetic heart valves so that they assumed their desired operational shape. The system includes a balloon that accommodates non-uniform expansion resistance in the heart valve to expanded to its desired tubular or other shape. The heart valve may have substantially more structural elements adjacent one end, typically the inflow end, and the balloon is tapered so as to expand the inflow end before the outflow so that the valve ends up in a tubular shape. Alternatively, a stepped balloon with a larger diameter proximal section adjacent the inflow end of the valve may be used. A method includes applying a non-linear expansion forced to the interior of a plastically-expandable prosthetic heart valve to overcome areas of greater resistance to expansion and result in uniform expansion.

A heart valve prosthesis includes a cylindrical valve cage stent constructed to be implanted percutaneously in the planar axis of a native valve annulus, an elastic and compressible, multi-leaflet valve insertable percutaneously into the body, and an attachment mechanism for attaching the valve to the superior rim of the valve cage stent. The valve can be of a bi-leaflet or a tri-leaflet type and includes a valve frame made from a memory metal and a tissue cover attached to the valve frame. The valve cage stent is self-expanding or balloon expandable, made respectively from memory metal or stainless steel but otherwise structurally the same.

A drug or agent coated balloon having a length which is adjustable in vivo is described herein. The balloon is configured to be coated or coatable with one or more drugs where the coating may be applied prior to advancement into a patient body or prior to balloon expansion within the patient body. The length of the expandable portion of the balloon is adjustable to approximate a length of the tissue region to be treated. Moreover, the drug-coated balloon may be used alone or it may be utilized to deploy luminal prostheses having one or more linked or otherwise coupled segments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to devices and techniques for para-valve sealing of an expandable stent-valve implanted using a catheter. In some embodiments, a stent-valve is provided which comprises a seal sleeve/cuff containing material that swells when contacted by blood. A piercing tool may be included and used to permit a user to puncture the sleeve/cuff prior to introduction into a patient's body. In some embodiments, the sleeve/cuff has an integral tubular structure configured to withstand balloon expansion of the stent-valve during or after implantation.

An endoluminal prosthesis includes a tubular graft, an expandable annular support structure and a restraining mechanism restraining the prosthesis in a collapsed configuration in which the annular support structure is compressed to a low profile. The restraining mechanism holds the annular support structures in the collapsed configuration until the prosthesis is positioned for deployment. The restraining mechanism is then released to allow the annular support structures to expand into conforming engagement with the inner wall of a lumen in which the prosthesis is to be deployed. A feature according to the invention provides a balloon catheter onto which the prosthesis is loaded for deployment where the balloon is expanded to provide a radial force to release the restraining mechanism. Another feature provides for a restraining member that breaks upon application of the radial force to release the annular support structure from its constrained configuration. Another feature of the invention provides for independent and/or sequential release of the annular support members. Various types of annular support members attached to tubular grafts in a variety of manners may be used in accordance with the invention. The invention may be used in tubular grafts for endoluminal placement within a body lumen, including blood vessels, and for the treatment of abdominal and other aneurysms.

Disclosed is an ablation method and apparatus used to close veins for treatment of venous insufficiency disease. The apparatus includes a catheter proportioned for insertion into a vein, a pair of inflatable balloons spaced apart on the catheter body, and an ablation electrode array disposed between the balloons. According to the disclosed method, the catheter is introduced into the vein to be treated and the balloons are distended. Blood is flushed and aspirated from the site between the balloons. RF power is applied to the electrode array, causing scarring of the vessel walls and eventual sealing of the vein.

A delivery system and method for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the aortic valve annulus. The system includes a delivery catheter having a steering mechanism thereon for delivering a balloon-expandable prosthetic heart valve to the aortic annulus in an antegrade fashion through an introducer passing into the left ventricle through its apex. The introducer may have a more floppy distal section than a proximal section to reduce trauma to the heart wall while preserving good operating field stability. The delivery catheter includes a deflecting segment just proximal to a distal balloon to facilitate positioning of the prosthetic heart valve in the proper orientation within the aortic annulus. A trigger in a catheter handle may be coupled to a deflection wire that actuates the deflecting segment, while a slider in the handle controls retraction of a valve pusher. The prosthetic heart valve may be installed over the existing calcified leaflets, and a pre-dilation valvuloplasty procedure may also be utilized.

At the present time, physicians often treat patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using radiofrequency (RF) catheter systems to ablate conducting tissue in the wall of the Left Atrium of the heart around the ostium of the pulmonary veins. These systems are expensive and take time consuming to use. The present invention circular ablation system CAS includes a multiplicity of expandable needles that can be expanded around a central axis and positioned to inject a fluid like ethanol to ablate conductive tissue in a ring around the ostium of a pulmonary vein quickly and without the need for expensive capital equipment. The expansion of the needles is accomplished by self-expanding or balloon expandable structures. The invention includes centering means so that the needles will be situated in a pattern surrounding the outside of the ostium of a vein. Also included are members that limit the distance of penetration of the needles into the wall of the left atrium. The present invention also has application to ablating tissue around the ostium of a renal artery for the treatment of hypertension.

A delivery device for an annular implant that includes a balloon expansion mechanism and an annular implant having an adjustable dimension. The balloon expansion mechanism includes an inflation tube attached to a non-occluding balloon collar which is supported by trusses radially extending from a trocar. The annular implant further includes a flexible ring core, contiguous coiled spacers, and anchoring blocks. The flexible ring core is adjusted via a cinching mechanism. The anchoring blocks are spaced along the ring core by the contiguous coiled spacers, which keeps the distance between each pair of anchoring blocks equidistant as the ring core diameter is manipulated by the device user. The annular implant can also include gunbarrel elements housed in the trocar. Each gunbarrel element contains a gunbarrel pusher which drives an attachment element into the annular implant and annular tissue.

An expandable stent is provided, wherein the stent is advantageously formed of at least one amorphous metal alloy and a biocompatible material. The stent is formed from flat metal in a helical strip which is wound to form a tubular structure. The tubular structure is not welded but rather is wrapped or coated with a biocompatible material in order to maintain the amorphous metal in its tubular configuration. Said stent can be balloon expanded or self expanding.

A dilating and support apparatus with disease inhibitors and methods for use is disclosed that is particularly useful for repairing and/or serving as a conduit for body passageways that require reinforcement, dilatation, disease prevention or the like. Such apparatuses are utilized to deliver a therapy, that therapy being from a family of devices, drugs, or any of a variety of other elements to a specific location within the body. The instant disclosure provides a system of combining a novel radial deployment and/or drug delivery therapy with existing balloon dilatation therapy into one device. This combination will yield a significant decrease in cost to the healthcare system as well as providing a therapy to the patient with increased safety and efficacy. Further, the instant invention provides a novel and improved platform for synthetic/tissue interface between the device and the body.

A plaque tack device for treating atherosclerotic occlusive disease is formed as a thin, annular band of durable, flexible material having a plurality of barbs or anchoring points on its outer periphery for preventing it from being dislodged. The plaque tack may be used with a balloon angioplasty procedure or as a de novo treatment for blood vessel blockage to reopen the vessel lumen for desired blood flow. It has a width that is small relative to its diameter, to minimize the amount of foreign structure placed in the blood vessel. One or more tacks may be applied in positions along a plaque accumulation site as needed to stabilize the site and/or hold pieces of plaque out of the way of blood flow. The barbs of the tack may be pressed into the plaque and/or blood vessel walls by balloon expansion. Related methods of deployment and delivery devices are provided for insertion of the plaque tack in a compressed state into the blood vessel and expanding it back to its annular shape for holding plaque against the blood vessel walls.

Balloon catheters such as guide catheters can be configured to provide distal occlusion, while still providing sufficient interior lumen space for device delivery. Such catheters can provide a desired level of balloon expansion, yet prevent vessel damage caused by balloon over-expansion. A catheter can include an elongate shaft having a distal region, a proximal region and a lumen extending therebetween. A balloon is inflated to a desired expansion configuration with a desired diameter. Over-inflation of the balloon causes longitudinal expansion instead of increased radial expansion, thus maintaining the diameter of the balloon.

A balloon catheter having a balloon with a reduced slippage lubricious coating, and a method of performing a medical procedure such as a balloon dilatation procedure in a patient's blood vessel. The second coating (i.e., the balloon coating) is lubricious to facilitate movement of the catheter in the patient's body lumen, yet has sufficiently low lubricity such that the slippage of the inflated balloon from a desired site within the blood vessel is reduced compared to a balloon coated with the first lubricious coating.

The present invention tackles the challenging anatomic characteristics of the coronary artery disease in the bifurcation point and the origin of side-branch. The invention has a specifically designed angioplasty balloon catheter, particularly the balloon shape and profile, to be used in the diseased vessels at these difficult anatomic locations. In stent implanting into a coronary artery, a balloon catheter application is an inseparable requirement. A stent is a passive device that cannot be deployed in a diseased or stenosed artery without a pre-stent, with-stent and/or post-stent balloon dilatation. In majority (more than 95%) of available coronary stents, a stent is deployed by balloon expandable mode, meaning that the stent is delivered and expanded inside a vessel lumen by expanding a delivery balloon. This is done by crimping a stent over a folded balloon for delivery into a coronary artery. When expanded by balloon inflation, a stent is expanded and shaped passively by the inflated balloon shape and profile. The balloon catheter is designed to do angioplasty in the bifurcation and side-branch anatomy of coronary arteries, while minimizing the side effect. This specially designed balloon catheter is not only for balloon angioplasty dilatation of the bifurcation and side-branch anatomy, but is also for delivering and deploying specially designed bifurcation or side-branch stents into these difficult anatomic locations, as a stent delivery system.