Steerable, conformable, drug eluting balloon catheter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456563-B2
Application number	US-201615059904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A steerable, conformable, drug eluting balloon catheter device may include a catheter stem with one or more balloon element(s), themselves comprised of one or more segment(s) arranged radially or axially along the length of the present catheter device may allow precise deployment of vascular interventional devices, including coring devices and/or placement of stents, and may also allow targeted, specific placement of selected diagnostic or therapeutic materials on the walls of a vascular structure during a cardiovascular intervention procedure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a bendable central catheter stem;
a plurality of balloon elements disposed radially around the bendable central catheter stem, each balloon element of the plurality of balloon elements comprising a plurality of spaced-apart interstitial constrictions, the plurality of spaced-apart interstitial constrictions of each of the plurality of balloon elements defining a plurality of balloon segments that are immediately adjacent to one another and that extend from near a distal tip of the bendable central catheter stem to a distance proximal to the distal tip; and
a plurality of inflation channels disposed within the bendable central catheter stem, each of the plurality of inflation channels being configured to individually inflate a respective one of the plurality of balloon segments of each of the plurality of balloon elements radially disposed around the bendable central catheter stem,
wherein each balloon segment of the plurality of balloon segments of each balloon element of the plurality of balloon elements disposed radially around the central catheter stem is selectably and individually inflatable by selective application and withdrawal of hydraulic pressure to cause each to exert a deformation force and cause the central catheter stem to selectively bend and conform to a shape of a vascular wall, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of spaced-apart interstitial constrictions are further away from the bendable central catheter stem when the plurality of balloon segments are inflated than when the plurality of balloon segments are uninflated.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of individually inflatable balloon segments is equal to a number of the radially-disposed plurality of balloon elements multiplied by a number of plurality of individually inflatable balloon segments per balloon element of the plurality of balloon elements.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of balloon elements is coated with a drug.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bendable central catheter stem comprises a surface defining a central catheter stem lumen.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the central catheter stem lumen is configured to accommodate a tissue cutting device and to enable the tissue cutting device to emerge from a distal end of the central catheter stem lumen.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bendable central catheter stem further comprises a plurality of openings configured to deliver a therapeutic substance.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein at least some of the plurality of openings are disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of individually inflatable balloon segments.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the central catheter stem comprises a plurality of flexible radial segments.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of individually inflatable balloon segments comprises radiation-shielding properties.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individually inflatable balloon segment are selectively fully and partially inflatable and are selectively and individually fully and partially deflatable.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bendable central catheter stem is configured to enable continued blood flow when the device is inserted in a blood vessel.

12. A method, comprising:
providing a steerable and conformable balloon catheter device that comprises a bendable central catheter stem and a plurality of balloon elements disposed radially around the bendable central catheter stem, each balloon element of the plurality of balloon elements comprising a plurality of spaced-apart interstitial constrictions, the plurality of spaced-apart interstitial constrictions of each of the plurality of balloon elements defining a plurality of balloon segments that are immediately adjacent to one another and that extend from near a distal tip of the bendable central catheter stem to a distance proximal to the distal tip of the bendable central catheter stem, the balloon catheter device further comprising a plurality of inflation channels disposed within the bendable central catheter stem, each of the plurality of inflation channels being configured to individually inflate a respective one of the plurality of balloon segments of each of the plurality of balloon elements radially disposed around the bendable central catheter stem,
inserting the balloon catheter into a vasculature;
selectively inflating at least one of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments through a corresponding at least one of the plurality of inflation channels, to apply pressure against a wall of the vasculature and cause the bendable central catheter stem to bend radially away from the at least one inflated balloon segment of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments to cause the catheter device to conform to a shape of and steer through the vasculature, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of spaced-apart interstitial constrictions are further away from the bendable central catheter stem when the plurality of balloon segments are inflated than when the plurality of balloon segments are uninflated.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising selectively applying and withdrawing hydraulic pressure to at least some of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising selectively deflating at least one of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments through a corresponding at least one of the plurality of inflation channels.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising delivering a drug from at least one of openings in the bendable central catheter stem and from a material of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing is carried out with the bendable central catheter stem comprising a central catheter stem lumen and wherein the method further comprises:
inserting a tissue cutting device through the central catheter stem lumen, at least a portion of the tissue cutting device emerging from a distal end of the central catheter stem;
anchoring the catheter device against a wall of the vasculature by selectively inflating at least one of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments; and
cutting tissue using the tissue cutting device.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing is carried out with the central catheter stem comprising a plurality of flexible radial segments.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments comprises radiation-shielding properties and wherein the method further comprises:
delivering radiation to the vasculature while shielding portions of the vasculature facing the at least one of the plurality of individually-inflatable balloon segments that comprises radiation-shielding properties.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising enabling blood flow through the bendable central catheter stem.

Assignees

• Transmed7 Llc

Inventors

• Vetter Eugene H
• Vetter James W
• Vetter Alisen E

Classifications

• A61M25/1011 Primary

  Multiple balloon catheters · CPC title

• A61M2025/0057

  Catheters delivering medicament other than through a conventional lumen, e.g. porous walls or hydrogel coatings · CPC title

• A61M2205/02

  characterised by a particular materials · CPC title

• A61N5/1002

  Intraluminal radiation therapy · CPC title

• A61M25/1002

  characterised by balloon shape (A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence) · CPC title