Variable stiffness catheter, intraluminal treatment system, and method

1. A method of performing an intraluminal procedure on a patient using a variable stiffness catheter that includes an elongate tubular body with proximal and distal body ends, and defining a longitudinal lumen extending between a fluid inlet located in the proximal body end and a fluid outlet located in the distal body end; and

a vacuum responsive stiffener, which includes an open cell foam stiffening medium, coupled with the elongate tubular body, the method comprising the steps of:

advancing the variable stiffness catheter having the elongate tubular body through a body lumen of a patient;

stiffening the variable stiffness catheter at least in part by withdrawing a fluid from the open cell foam stiffening medium; and

fluidly connecting the body lumen with a fluid reservoir located outside of the patient by way of the longitudinal lumen within the elongate tubular body;

conveying a second fluid from the fluid reservoir to the body lumen by way of the longitudinally extending lumen, and limiting displacing the catheter during conveying the second fluid by way of the stiffening step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of limiting further includes limiting displacing the catheter in response to an exit pressure of the second fluid from the catheter.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of conveying further includes conveying a contrast agent in the second fluid into the body lumen.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of stiffening further includes withdrawing the fluid from a cavity between the elongate tubular body and an outer tubular body of the stiffener such that the open cell foam stiffening medium within the cavity transitions from a relatively flexible state to a relatively inflexible state.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of stiffening further includes collapsing the open cell foam stiffening medium.

6. A variable stiffness catheter comprising:

an elongate tubular body including proximal and distal body ends, and defining a lumen extending longitudinally between a fluid inlet located in the proximal body end and a fluid outlet located in the distal body end;

a vacuum responsive stiffener, which includes an open cell foam stiffening medium, coupled with the elongate tubular body, and the vacuum responsive stiffener fills an elongated cylindrically shaped cavity at least partially defined by the elongate tubular body; and

the lumen has an expanded cross section when the catheter is in a flexible state with a fluid in the open cell foam stiffening medium, and the lumen has the expanded cross section when the catheter is in a stiff state with the fluid out of the open cell foam stiffening medium.

7. The catheter of claim 6 wherein the distal body end includes a radiopaque tip, and wherein the fluid outlet is formed in the radiopaque tip.

8. The catheter of claim 6 wherein the elongate tubular body includes an inner tubular body, and wherein the vacuum responsive stiffener includes an outer tubular body positioned about the inner tubular body, and the open cell foam stiffening medium disposed between the inner and outer tubular bodies.

9. The catheter of claim 8 wherein a cavity extends between the inner and outer tubular bodies, and the open cell foam stiffening medium surrounds the inner tubular body within the cavity.

10. The catheter of claim 9 wherein the open cell foam stiffening medium includes a porous medium having an expanded state and a vacuum collapsed state.

11. The variable stiffness catheter of claim 8 wherein the catheter defines exactly one lumen, which is the lumen;

the inner tubular body is concentric with the outer tubular body; and

the lumen is defined by the inner tubular body.

12. An intraluminal treatment system comprising:

a catheter having an elongate tubular body including proximal and distal body ends, and defining a lumen extending longitudinally between a fluid inlet located in the proximal body end and a fluid outlet located in the distal body end;

a vacuum responsive stiffener, which includes an open cell foam stiffening medium, coupled with the elongate tubular body, and the vacuum responsive stiffener fills an elongated cylindrically shaped cavity at least partially defined by the elongate tubular body;

a vacuum device connectable with the vacuum responsive stiffener;

a wire guide positioned in the lumen and extending distally beyond the distal body end of the catheter; and

the lumen has an expanded cross section when the catheter is in a flexible state with a fluid in the open cell foam stiffening medium, and the lumen has the expanded cross section when the catheter is in a stiff state with the fluid out of the open cell foam stiffening medium.

13. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 12 further comprising a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the lumen.

14. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 13 wherein the fluid reservoir contains a liquid contrast agent, and further comprising a manifold fluidly connecting the fluid reservoir with the lumen and fluidly connecting the vacuum device with the vacuum responsive stiffener; and

the fluid reservoir is pressurized to move the liquid contrasting agent toward the distal body end of the catheter.

15. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 12 wherein the elongate tubular body includes an inner tubular body, and wherein the vacuum responsive stiffener further includes an outer tubular body positioned about the inner tubular body, and the open cell foam stiffening medium between the inner and outer tubular bodies.

16. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 15 wherein the open cell foam stiffening medium includes a porous medium having a relatively flexible expanded state and a relatively inflexible vacuum collapsed state.

17. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 16 wherein the porous medium is in the expanded state and includes an open cell foam stiffening medium, and further comprising the fluid, which is a liquid, within the porous medium.

18. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 16 wherein the vacuum device includes a syringe.

19. The intraluminal treatment system of claim 18 wherein the catheter defines exactly one lumen, which is the lumen;

the inner tubular body is concentric with the outer tubular body; and

the lumen is defined by the inner tubular body.