Dynamically compliant catheter

Abstract

A catheter enabling a reduced puncture hole size into the skin and blood vessel is disclosed. In one embodiment, the catheter has an elongate body having an expandable sheath extending at least a portion of its length. A pressure constraining sheath is positioned to surround the expandable sheath, at a selected region to prevent expansion of the inner sheath at the region of the constraining sheath. In one preferred use, the constraining sheath is positioned at the puncture hole. During use, the catheter increases in cross-section by an expandable sheath expanding from a first diameter to a second diameter. However, the outer sheath does not expand, maintaining a small diameter at the puncture site.

Description

[0001] This invention relates generally to angiography and / or particularly to an improved catheter for injecting medical fluids such as radiographic contrast fluid into living organisms.[0002] Angiography is a procedure used in the treatment of cardiovascular conditions including abnormalities or restrictions in blood vessels of a human or animal body. During angiography, a radiographic contrast material is injected through a catheter into a vein or artery, which then passes to vascular structures in fluid communication with the vein or artery. When X-rays are passed through the region of the body into which the contrast material is injected, they are absorbed by the contrast material, providing radiographic images of the desired vascular structure(s). The images can be recorded on film or video tape and / or displayed on a fluoroscope monitor. The images can be used for many purposes, as for example diagnostics, and for operative procedures such as angioplasty, wherein a balloon is i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a catheter that minimizes the wound size for use of the catheter and yet still provides a wide variety of potential uses.

[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a catheter that is economical to produce.

[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of ensuring adequate fluid flow through a catheter with the smallest diameter patient incision as possible.

[0014] The backbone allows the catheter to retain a predetermined shape for ease of manipulation and placement of the catheter. The outer non-compliant, nonexpandable sheath limits the expansion of the catheter and is positioned at the insertion point into the patient. The adjustable sheath, however, expands. Thus, the catheter retains the narrow insertion point but expands at either side of the insertion point.

[0015] The catheter sheath selectively expands to provide an expanded area and a non-expanded area, which expansion may occur either during, or prior to, the injection of a fluid. This selective expansion is advantageous because the puncture hole at the entry site into the patient is minimized.

Problems solved by technology

Additionally, the larger the puncture hole, the greater the opportunity for complications and the more time needed to stop the bleeding after the catheter is removed.

As a result of this design, the wound at the puncture site may be unduly large for the particular procedure to be performed.

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