Boston Scientific Corporation

Mansfield Scientific, Inc.

Vision Sciences, Inc.

Mark S Landman

Robert E Ailinger

John E Abele

Kevin R Heath

Katsumi Oneda

Paul D McLaughlin

Steven R LeMott

Stephen M Martone

A steerable guidewire for gently penetrating an occlusion within a vessel, with an elongated solid main guidewire body having selected stiffness characteristics along its length to allow the guidewire to be urged through a narrow, tortuous body lumen by application of forces at a proximal end, and an enlarged distal end portion having a diameter larger than portions of the guidewire proximal thereof including a soft polymeric element and a permanently deflected portion to enable steering of the guidewire.

Guidewire for crossing occlusions in blood vessels

A guidewire for penetrating an occlusion within a duct or vessel, such as a blood vessel, has an elongated main guidewire body of a small, first diameter. The guidewire is terminated at its distal end with an enlarged resilient tip portion having a lubricious outer surface, and is shaped and constructed to penetrate the occlusion. The guidewire body is constructed to be to be relatively flexible in the distal end corresponding to the enlarged tip and relatively stiffer in portions proximal thereof for manipulation of the wire from its proximal end to cause the distal tip portion to penetrate the occlusion and form a passage therein. In an embodiment, an outer sleeve is slid over the main body and butting against the proximal end of the enlarged tip portion contributes to axial stiffness of the combination to enable manipulation through the occlusion. After placement this sleeve is removed and a dilatation catheter is slid over the main body, and enters the occlusion behind the enlarged tip portion.

A medical device consists of an elongated catheter having a distal portion and a proximal portion, an inflatable balloon associated with the distal portion of the catheter and a valve member associated proximally with at least one lumen communicating with the volume of the balloon. In one embodiment, the valve member has a first position for connection of the first lumen to a source of liquid for introduction into the balloon and for connection of the second lumen to atmosphere for venting of gas displaced from the balloon by the liquid, and the valve member has a second position for connection of the first and second lumens to inflation/deflation means for flow of liquid into and rapidly out of the balloon via both lumens simultaneously. In another embodiment, a valve member is associated proximally with the second lumen, the valve member having a first position for connection of the second lumen to atmosphere for venting of gas displaced from the balloon by the liquid, and the valve member having a second position for closure of the second lumen. In both embodiments, the valve member is adapted for selective adjustment as required during use of the device between the first position for venting of gas from the device and the second position. Other embodiments include a stiffening member for varying catheter stiffness, and a catheter having proximal and distal portions formed of different materials. Methods of re-venting the balloon catheter, and varying catheter stiffness during use are also described.

Multi-lumen balloon catheter

Growing community of inventors

Sharon, MA, United States of America

Mark S Landman