The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 13, 1997
Jerome Segal, Chevy Chase, MD (US);
Other;
Abstract
A mechanical dilatation and irradiation device for enlarging a flow passage of a vessel by dilating and irradiating an obstruction in the vessel. The present invention comprises a substantially cylindrically shaped expansion member and includes a means engaged to the expansion member for altering the distance between the proximal end and the distal end of the expansion member thereby transforming the expansion member between a diametrically contracted configuration to diametrically expanded configuration. A radioisotope is place either inside the expansion member, alloyed into the metal from which the expansion member is constructed, coated onto the expansion member's exterior surface or alternately, the non-radioactive metal or alloy of the expansion member can be irradiated so that it has become radioactive, i.e. it is then a radioisotope. The present method comprises the steps of advancing the radioactive expansion member or radioactive catheter to the obstruction in a vessel and applying opposed forces on said expansion member in an axial direction to move the expansion member to an expanded configuration wherein the expansion member dilates the obstruction and the catheter/expansion member assembly irradiates the obstruction.