Catheter System for Opening and Closing Body Passages

This 1980 patent describes a medical catheter system with a guide catheter and a special dilatation catheter that can expand to open or close body passages, like blood vessels.

What it covers

This patent details a medical device system for procedures like angioplasty. It involves two main parts: a guide catheter and a dilatation catheter. The dilatation catheter has a special expandable tip, called a dilatation element, which has two separate internal channels (lumens). One channel is for injecting fluid to open up a passage or cavity, and the other is for inflating the dilatation element itself to a specific size. The guide catheter is designed to be stiff and allow for twisting (torsional forces) to help steer it. The dilatation element is described as having a foldable wall that can expand to a predetermined shape and diameter when pressurized. An example use would be to insert this system into a narrowed blood vessel, position the dilatation element at the blockage, and then inflate it to widen the vessel.

What it doesn't cover

• —Catheter systems where the dilatation element is not foldable or pre-shaped.
• —Catheter systems that do not have two distinct lumens within the dilatation element.
• —Catheter systems where one lumen is not used for inflating the dilatation element.
• —Catheter systems where the guide catheter cannot transmit torsional forces.
• —Catheter systems without a marking element for X-ray localization.

The clever bit

The innovation lies in the dual-lumen design of the dilatation element, allowing simultaneous inflation of the balloon and delivery of fluid to the target site, all guided by a specially reinforced catheter for better control during complex navigation.

Why it matters

This patent is foundational for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures, particularly angioplasty. It describes the core components and mechanism for balloon catheters used to open blocked arteries, a technique that revolutionized cardiac care and continues to be a cornerstone of treating heart disease.

Real-world examples

• 1.Balloon angioplasty catheters
• 2.Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) devices