Rapid exchange dilation catheter for non-vascular applications

1. A flexible catheter for insertion into a body lumen, comprising:

a guide wire lumen extending from a distal port at a distal end of the catheter to a proximal port separated from a proximal end of the catheter;

a stiffening member lumen separate from the guide wire lumen, the stiffening member lumen extending from the proximal end of the catheter to an opening at the distal end of the catheter so that fluid supplied thereto is delivered to an area of the body lumen adjacent to the distal end of the catheter; and

a stiffening member extending within the stiffening member lumen from the proximal end of the catheter to a point adjacent to the proximal port.

2. The flexible catheter according to claim 1 , further comprising an expandable element mounted adjacent to the distal end of the catheter for dilating a lumen in which the catheter is inserted.

3. The flexible catheter according to claim 2 , wherein the expandable element includes an inflatable structure coupled to an inflation fluid lumen.

4. The flexible catheter according to claim 1 , wherein the expandable element is mounted between the proximal and distal ports of the guide wire lumen.

5. The flexible catheter according to claim 1 , further comprising a stiffening member locking mechanism to lock the stiffening member within the stiffening member lumen.

6. The flexible catheter according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal port is a lateral port formed on a side surface of the flexible catheter.

7. The flexible catheter according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheath encasing a portion of the flexible catheter including the proximal port.

8. The flexible catheter according to claim 7 , wherein the sheath is formed of an impermeable material.

9. The flexible catheter according to claim 1 , wherein the inflatable structure includes a balloon which expands radially from the flexible catheter when inflated.

10. A method of treating tissue at a target location within a body lumen, comprising the steps of:

inserting a guide wire through the body lumen to the target location;

inserting a proximal end of the guide wire into a distal port of a guide wire lumen of a catheter and sliding the catheter therealong until the guide wire exits a proximal port thereof, the proximal port of the guide wire lumen being spaced from a proximal end of the catheter;

sliding the catheter along the guide wire to the target location;

inserting a stiffening member into a stiffening member lumen until the stiffening member extends between a proximal end of the catheter and a point substantially equally distal thereof with the proximal port, the stiffening member lumen separate from the guide wire lumen and extending from the proximal end of the catheter to an opening formed in a distal end thereof; and

treating tissue at the target location using the catheter.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising removing the catheter from the body cavity by sliding said catheter along the guide wire, and threading a second catheter onto the guide wire to guide the second catheter to the target location.