Controlled deployment of a medical device
View Patent ↗A prosthesis delivery system having a balloon catheter with an inflatable balloon on its exterior. The balloon is inflatable by injection of fluid through a lumen in the catheter and the balloon is initially partially constrained against inflation by a constraint. A tubular prosthesis is disposed on the catheter over at least a portion of the balloon and a portion of the constraint. The tubular prosthesis has a contracted condition and an expanded condition. The tubular prosthesis is initially disposed on the catheter in the contracted condition. Further, a balloon catheter includes a constraint so that the balloon may be sequentially inflated for dilatation purposes such as in a valvuloplasty operation.
1. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a nonelastic constraint surrounding a portion of the balloon; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraint,
wherein, while surrounding the portion of the balloon, the constraint prevents the portion of the balloon from inflating.
2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints, the prosthesis disposed over at least two of the constraints.
3. The system of claim 1 , comprising two constraints having different resistance to inflation pressure.
4. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints positioned on the balloon in a predetermined sequence according to their resistance to inflation pressure.
5. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints positioned on the balloon progressively according to their resistance to inflation pressure.
6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints having different thickness.
7. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints positioned on the balloon sequentially according to thickness.
8. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints positioned on the balloon progressively according to their thickness.
9. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints arranged contiguously.
10. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of constraints extending the full length of the balloon.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the constraint is separable from the expandable prosthesis.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the constraint comprises Teflon®.
13. A method, comprising:
delivering a medical system into the body, the medical system comprising
a catheter having an inflatable balloon,
a nonelastic constraint surrounding a portion of the balloon, and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraint, wherein, while surrounding the portion of the balloon, the constraint prevents the portion of the balloon from inflating; and
inflating the balloon.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising withdrawing from the body, the catheter and the constraint.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising axially moving the constraint during inflation of the balloon.
16. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
first and second nonelastic constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraints,
wherein the constraints have different resistance to inflation pressure.
17. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of nonelastic constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraints,
wherein the plurality of constraints are positioned on the balloon in a predetermined sequence according to their resistance to inflation pressure.
18. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraints,
wherein the plurality of constraints are positioned on the balloon progressively according to their resistance to inflation pressure.
19. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of nonelastic constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraints,
wherein the plurality of constraints have different thickness.
20. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of nonelastic constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the contraints,
wherein the plurality of constraints are positioned on the balloon sequentially according to thickness.
21. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraints,
wherein the plurality of constraints are positioned on the balloon progressively according to their thickness.
22. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of nonelastic constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraints,
wherein the plurality of constraints are arranged contiguously.
23. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a plurality of nonelastic constraints surrounding portions of the balloon and constraining the portion of the balloon against inflation; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraint,
wherein the plurality of constraints extend the full length of the balloon.
24. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter having an inflatable balloon;
a constraint surrounding a portion of the balloon; and
an expandable prosthesis disposed over the constraint,
wherein, while surrounding the portion of the balloon, the constraint prevents the portion of the balloon from inflating, and wherein the constraint is configured to move axially during inflation of the balloon.