Rotatable catheter assembly

1. A catheter assembly comprising:

an outer catheter shaft, the outer catheter shaft having a length and an outer surface;

an inner catheter shaft, the inner catheter shaft having a length and an outer surface;

a balloon, the balloon comprising a proximal balloon waist, a distal balloon waist and a body portion there between, a proximal balloon cone extending between the proximal balloon waist and the balloon body, a distal balloon cone extending between the distal balloon waist and the balloon body; the balloon having an expanded state and a unexpanded state, in the expanded state the body portion having an expanded diameter and in the unexpanded state the body portion having an unexpanded diameter that is less than the expanded diameter; and

a proximal collar and a distal collar, the proximal collar fixedly engaged to the outer catheter shaft and the distal collar fixedly engaged to the inner catheter shaft, each collar having a body portion and at least one lip portion, the at least one lip portion extending radially outward from the body portion, each collar having a nonactivated state and an activated state, in the nonactivated state the balloon being rotatable around the proximal collar and the distal collar, in the nonactivated state each lip portion constructed and arranged to abut a portion of the balloon to prevent the balloon from moving longitudinally relative thereto, in the activated state the body portion of the proximal collar being expanded to sealingly engage at least a portion of the proximal balloon waist and the distal collar being expanded to sealingly engage at least a portion of the distal balloon waist.

2. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the balloon defines a balloon interior, in the activated state a first lip portion of the proximal collar being engaged to at least a portion of the proximal balloon cone within the balloon interior and the a first lip portion of the distal collar being engaged to at least a portion of the distal balloon cone within the balloon interior.

3. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the collars are actuated between the nonactivated state and the activated state by exposure to an electric current.

4. The catheter assembly of claim 3 further comprising at least one electrically conductive member, each collar being in electronic communication with the at least one electrically conductive member.

5. The catheter assembly of claim 4 further comprising a source of electrical current, the source being in electronic communication with the at least one electrically conductive member.

6. The catheter assembly of claim 4 wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is at least partially enclosed by the inner catheter shaft.

7. The catheter assembly of claim 6 wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is co-extruded with the at least one material of the inner catheter shaft.

8. The catheter assembly of claim 4 wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is at least partially enclosed by the outer catheter shaft.

9. The catheter assembly of claim 8 wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is co-extruded with the at least one material of the outer catheter shaft.

10. The catheter assembly of claim 4 wherein the outer catheter shaft is disposed about a portion of the inner catheter shaft and defines an inflation lumen therebetween which is in fluid communication with an interior of the balloon body.

11. The catheter assembly of claim 10 wherein the portion of the outer catheter shaft is disposed about a support ring, the inner catheter shaft extending through the support ring.

12. The catheter assembly of claim 4 wherein the proximal collar and the distal collar are comprised of electro-active material.

13. The catheter assembly of claim 12 wherein the electro-active material is an electro-active polymer (EAP), a carbon nano-tube structure (bucky paper) or any combination thereof.

14. The catheter assembly of claim 13 wherein the EAP material is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of: Poly-pyrrole (PPy), Poly-Aniline (PAni), Poly-Thiofene (PTH), Poly-Paraphenylene Vinylene (PPV), Nafion, and any combination thereof.

15. The catheter assembly of claim 12 wherein when the proximal collar and the distal collar are exposed to the electric current the electro-active material in each collar expands up to about 300 percent.

16. The catheter assembly of claim 13 wherein when the proximal collar and the distal collar are exposed to the electric current the EAP material in each collar expands about 0.5 percent to about 20 percent.

17. The catheter assembly of claim 12 wherein the proximal collar and the distal collar are further comprised of at least one electrically conductive marker, the electro-active material being a layer of material engaged to at least a portion of a surface of the at least one electrically conductive marker.

18. The catheter assembly of claim 17 wherein the at least one electrically conductive marker is constructed of at least one material of the group consisting of gold, platinum, silver, nitinol, and any combination thereof.

19. The catheter assembly of claim 18 wherein the at least one electrically conductive marker is in direct contact with a portion of the at least one electrically conductive member which radially extends through at least one opening in the catheter shaft.

20. The catheter assembly of claim 1 further comprising a secondary guidewire housing, the secondary guidewire housing comprising a substantially tubular member engaged to the balloon, the secondary guidewire housing defining a secondary guidewire lumen through which a secondary guidewire may be slidingly positioned.

21. The catheter assembly of claim 20 further comprising a balloon expandable stent, the stent being expandable from an unexpanded configuration to and expanded configuration, in the unexpanded configuration the stent being disposed about at least a portion of the balloon body.

22. The catheter assembly of claim 21 wherein at least a proximal portion of the stent overlays at least a portion of the secondary guidewire housing.

23. The catheter assembly of claim 21 wherein the stent comprises a plurality of interconnected members, wherein adjacent members define openings there between, one of the openings being a secondary opening through which the secondary guidewire radially extends.

24. The catheter assembly of claim 5 further comprising an inflation fluid, the inflation fluid being injected into the balloon in order to expand the balloon from the unexpanded state to the expanded state, the inflation fluid being electrically conductive.

25. The catheter assembly of claim 24 wherein the proximal collar, the distal collar, the at least one electrically conductive member, the inflation fluid and the source of electric current forming an electric circuit through which the electric current flows to place the collars in the activated state.

26. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter shaft, the catheter shaft having a length and an outer surface;

a balloon including a proximal balloon waist, a distal balloon waist, and a body portion therebetween, the body portion of the balloon having an expanded state and an unexpanded state, wherein the body portion has a first diameter in the expanded state and a second diameter in the unexpanded state, the second diameter less than the first diameter; and

one or more collars disposed radially between the outer surface of the catheter shaft and at least one of the proximal balloon waist and the distal balloon waist of the balloon, the one or more collars having a body portion and at least one lip portion, the at least one lip portion extending radially outward from the body portion, in the nonactivated state the at least one lip portion constructed and arranged to abut a portion of the at least one of the proximal balloon waist and the distal balloon waist of the balloon to prevent the balloon from moving longitudinally relative to the catheter shaft, the one or more collars including an electroactive polymer material having a contracted state and an expanded state, wherein the balloon is rotatable relative to the catheter shaft when the electroactive polymer material of the one or more collars is in the contracted state and the balloon is sealingly engaged to the catheter shaft when the electroactive polymer material of the one or more collars is in the expanded state.

27. The catheter assembly of claim 26 , wherein the electroactive polymer material of the one or more collars is electrically actuatable between the contracted state and the expanded state.

28. The catheter assembly of claim 26 , wherein the one or more collars are fixed to at least one of the proximal waist and the distal waist of the balloon.

29. The catheter assembly of claim 26 , wherein the one or more collars are fixed to the catheter shaft.

30. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter shaft including a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending at least partially therebetween;

a balloon disposed about at least a portion of the catheter shaft adjacent to the distal end, wherein the balloon includes a proximal waist and a distal waist; and

one or more electroactive polymers disposed radially between the catheter shaft and at least one of the proximal waist and the distal waist of the balloon, wherein the one or more electroactive polymers are fixed to the catheter shaft and configured to expand when activated by an electrical current, the one or more electroactive polymers having at least one lip portion extending radially outward to abut a portion of the proximal waist and/or the distal waist of the balloon to prevent the balloon from moving longitudinally relative to the catheter shaft;

wherein the balloon is rotatable relative to the catheter shaft when the one or more electroactive polymers are nonactivated and the balloon is sealingly engaged to the catheter shaft when the one or more electroactive polymers are activated.