BALLOON CATHETER WITH DISTAL GUIDE WIRE LUMEN
An over-the-wire balloon dilatation catheter has a stainless steel hypotube catheter shaft having a partially collapsed distal region. The partially collapsed region has a convex radius and a concave radius with the degree of collapse increasing distally while maintaining patency. The catheter includes a tubular element which overlaps a distal portion of the partially collapsed region, said tubular element comprising a wire coil disposed about its proximal region and being sealingly bonded within the concave partially collapsed region. The bonding region of the catheter shaft and tubular element is further sealingly disposed within the proximal end of a distal tubular member having a distal inflatable region. The distal end of the tubular element is sealingly disposed within the distal end of the distal tubular member.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A rapid exchange balloon catheter comprising:
a elongate tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, a lumen therebetween, and a distal region, wherein the distal region is partially collapsed to a meniscoid cross-section having a convex radius and a concave radius with the degree of collapse increasing distally while maintaining patency;
a tubular element having a radius, a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therebetween, wherein the radius of the second tubular element is generally commensurate with the concave radius of the meniscoid cross-section of the distal end of the elongate tubular member and wherein the proximal end of the tubular element overlaps the distal end of the elongate tubular member and lies within and at least partially along the exterior of the partially collapsed distal region of the elongate tubular member,
further wherein the tubular element comprises a coil member extending from proximate the proximal end of the tubular element to distal the distal end of the elongate tubular member; and
a distal tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, a lumen therebetween, and a distal inflatable region, wherein the proximal end of the distal tubular member sealingly surrounds the distal end of the elongate tubular member and the proximal end of the second tubular element leaving the proximal end of the tubular element and a portion of the partially collapsed distal region of the elongate tubular member exposed and wherein said distal tubular member is sealingly attached at its distal end to the distal end of the tubular element.
3 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the elongate tubular member is a stainless steel hypotube.
4 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the coil member is stainless steel.
5 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the coil member is a wire.
6 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the coil member is a ribbon.
7 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the coil member comprises uniformly spaced coils.
8 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the coil member comprises distally increased spacing coils.
9 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the distal portion of the tubular element is coaxially disposed with respect to the distal tubular member at the distal end thereof.
10 . The rapid exchange balloon catheter of claim 2 , wherein the lumen of the elongate tubular member is in fluid communication with the lumen of the distal tubular member.