Cordis Corporation

University of Miami

James E Leone

Stephen M Rowland

Willard W Hennemann, Iii

Margaret F Yoklavich

Christopher L Abiuso

Jan Thalens

Karl Phillip Weissinger

Marcel Gerhard Haan

Hendrikus Cornelis Ligtenberg

Marcel Gerhard Hann

Hendikus Cornelis Geert

Maureen A Shaffer

Eduardo deMarchena

A method is disclosed for introducing a stent inside the body of a patient. The stent is made of a material that cures due to the action of light. A catheter having an inflatable balloon adjacent its distal end is provided. Also provided is a light conductor comprising a transparent, elongated member, the elongated member having a smooth, outer wall along most of its length with a portion of the light conductor within the balloon having a rougher outer wall to allow light to project laterally outwardly through the wall. The balloon carries on substantially its entire surface a partially reflective layer to permit the light to be partly reflected and partly transmitted through the same portions of the wall of the balloon. The stent is cured by providing light to the light conductor.

Method for introducing a curable stent using catheter with light

The drug delivery stent assembly includes a hollow tubular wire stent which extends in a path defining a generally cylindrical envelope and which has side walls facing outwardly of the cylindrical envelope with holes therein for delivery of liquid to a site in a vessel where the stent is placed. The method for delivering a liquid solution to the interior wall surface of a vessel using the hollow tubular wire stent comprises: placing the stent on a balloon of a balloon on a wire guidewire or on a balloon catheter; inserting the stent on the balloon assembly at a desired site in a vessel; causing the balloon to expand the stent to a larger cylindrical shape; supplying liquid with a liquid supply source to the stent prior to or after placement of the stent so that liquid can be delivered from the outer holes in the stent to the site of placement of the stent in a vessel; disengaging the liquid supply source from the stent prior to or after placement of the stent in a vessel; and allowing the liquid solution to leak from the stent through the outwardly facing holes in the stent.

Method for delivering a liquid solution to the interior wall surface of

The invention relates to a catheter comprising a tube-like basic catheter body with a distal and a proximal end, and a balloon member arranged at the distal end. The basic catheter body has been made so as to be at least partially light-conductive, and comprises a light receiving section at the proximal end and a light-emitting section at the distal end.

Ballon catheter with light-conductive basic body

The drug delivery stent assembly includes a hollow tubular wire stent which extends in a path defining a generally cylindrical envelope and which has side walls facing outwardly of the cylindrical envelope with holes therein for delivery of liquid to a site in a vessel where the stent is placed and the stent being constructed in a manner which permits the stent to be placed in one of two states, one state being where the stent assumes the shape of an enlarged generally cylindrical envelope and the other state being where the stent assumes the shape of a contracted smaller cylindrical envelope.

Drug delivery stent

A synchronous, pulsatile angioplasty system utilizes a control apparatus which controls balloon inflation and deflation in a pulsatile fashion synchronized with the heartbeat of a patient. A heart monitor provides an input, a signal to the control apparatus which serves as a baseline for operation of the pulsatile inflation and deflation of the balloon. A triggering circuit reads the baseline signal and generates a control signal to selectively generate valves interconnecting the angioplasty catheter with sources of inflation media and low pressure. Time delay circuits may be utilized which delay either the duration of the control signal or the receipt thereof by the control valves.

Synchronous, pulsatile angioplasty system

Retrievable drug delivery stent

An apparatus for measuring radiation at a region of interest inside a body is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a fiber optic equipped-catheter having a distal portion adapted to be inserted in a blood vessel. The apparatus further includes a luminescent scintillation material coupled to the fiber optic light pipe. The scintillation material is disposed in a distal portion of a lumen of the catheter and generates pulses of electromagnetic radiation in response to excitation by radiation rays. The apparatus further includes an index matching material disposed between the scintillation crystal and the fiber optic light pipe facilitating transmission of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation produced by the scintillation material to the fiber optic light pipe. A measuring assembly is coupled to the fiber optic light pipe to convert the pulses of radiation traversing the fiber optic light pipe to a measure of radiation in the region of interest. A method of measuring radiation using the radiation measuring apparatus of the present invention is also disclosed. The steps of the method comprise: providing a catheter having a fiber optic light pipe coupled to a scintillation material supported by a distal portion of the catheter; inserting the distal portion of the catheter through an opening in the body; maneuvering the catheter to position the distal portion of the catheter within the region of interest; and converting the pulses of electromagnetic radiation transmitted along the fiber optic light pipe into a measure of radiation.

Radiation measuring catheter apparatus and method

A photodynamic therapy balloon catheter is provided which has an elongated light-emanating optical fiber, an inner tubular member, a balloon member surrounding the inner tubular member, and fluid material provided between the inner tubular member and the balloon member. Light-reflective material is included in any one or a plurality of the inner member, fluid material, and balloon member in any combination to provide a uniform illumination for activating treatment fluids located on an elongated treatment site within a living body.

Photodynamic therapy balloon catheter

The multi-purpose balloon catheter comprises a tubular body having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and at least two lumens within the tubular body. The distal end portion has three spaced apart balloons thereon, the distal balloon being an occlusive balloon, the middle balloon being a stent mounting balloon and the proximal balloon being an occlusive balloon.

Multi-purpose balloon catheter

A photodynamic therapy balloon catheter with microporous membrane is provided which has an elongated optical fiber, an inner tubular member, a porous balloon member surrounding the inner tubular member, and fluid material provided between the inner tubular member and the porous balloon member. The porous balloon member having a plurality of holes of a size to permit medication delivered through a lumen to pass outwardly through the holes. The balloon carries on an outer surface a substantially hydrophilic, tubular microporous membrane covering the holes, to break up streams of flowing medication. Light-reflective material is included in any one of a plurality of the inner member, fluid material, porous balloon member, and microporous membrane in any combination to provide a uniform light illumination for activating treatment fluids located on an elongated treatment site within a living body.

Photodynamic therapy balloon catheter with microporous membrane

A balloon catheter comprises a catheter shaft and a plurality of lumens, having a pair of spaced, inflatable balloons carried on the shaft to define an interballoon space between the balloons. Each of the balloons are connected to a separate inflation lumen to permit separate inflation and deflation. A fluid flow lumen extends through the catheter shaft and communicates with the interballoon space. Preferably, a perfusion lumen extends through the catheter shaft and the distal end to permit the shunting of blood past the inflated balloons. The spaced balloons are made of an elastomeric material, and are capable of being inflated to a diameter greater than their length. The catheter may be used by inflating a first catheter balloon to block a blood vessel. One then adds a therapeutic agent to the blood vessel at a position on one side of the first balloon through a flow lumen in the catheter. One then inflates a second catheter balloon to block the blood vessel and isolate the medication between the two balloons, while avoiding undue pressure increase in the interballoon space.

Tandem balloon catheter

An infusion catheter is provided for delivering treatment fluids including medicaments, drugs, pharmaceuticals, cancer treatment agents and the like directly to a location within a living body such as within a vessel or body cavity. Electro-osmotic infusion is carried out by iontophoretic and/or iontohydrokinesis procedures. The infusion catheter includes both an internal electrode and an integral electrode, both of which are components of or closely associated with a distal portion of the catheter itself. When electrically joined to an EMF source, the electrodes are oppositely charged. The treatment fluid or components of the treatment fluid have an electrical charge which is the same as the internal electrode, as a result of which the medicament moves away from the internal electrode and to the body component being treated.

Electro-osmotic infusion catheter

A balloon catheter comprises a catheter shaft and a balloon carried on the shaft, an inflation lumen being provided. The balloon comprises a plurality of holes of a size to permit medication delivered through the lumen to pass outwardly through the holes. The balloon carries on an outer surface a substantially hydrophilic, tubular microporous membrane covering the holes, to break up streams of flowing medication.

Growing community of inventors

Miami, FL, United States of America

James E Leone