Balloon dilation catheter for use in sinus passageways
A balloon dilation catheter includes a substantially rigid inner guide member and a movable shaft coupled to a balloon that is slidably mounted on the substantially rigid inner guide member. To treat a sinus cavity of a subject using the balloon dilation the substantially rigid inner guide member is advanced into a drainage pathway of the sinus (e.g., frontal recess) of the subject via a nasal passageway. The shaft and balloon are advanced in a distal direction over the substantially rigid inner guide member to place the balloon in the drainage pathway. The balloon is inflated to expand or otherwise remodel the drainage pathway.
1. A balloon dilation catheter for use in a sinus or sinus drainage pathway comprising:
a handle configured to be gripped by an operator;
an inner guide member extending longitudinally from the handle in a distal direction, the inner guide member formed from a substantially rigid metallic hypotube defining a first lumen, the substantially rigid metallic hypotube having a blunt distal end and a proximal end secured within the handle;
a shaft slidably arranged over the inner guide member, wherein a distal portion of the shaft includes an inflatable balloon;
a moveable shaft advancing member disposed in the handle and coupled to the shaft, the moveable shaft advancing member configured to be manipulated by a thumb of an operator of the balloon dilation catheter to advance the shaft over the inner guide member from a retracted state to an extended state; and
wherein a length of the inner guide member projects distally from a distal-most portion of the inflatable balloon within the range of about 0.5 inch to about 2.0 inch in the retracted state.
2. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein the shaft defines a rider lumen and the inner guide member extends through the rider lumen when the shaft is in a fully retracted position.
3. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein the handle defines a slot extending along a longitudinal length of the handle and wherein the moveable shaft advancing member is configured to translate along the slot.
4. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein a distal portion of the inner guide member is malleable and can be shaped by the operator into a desired configuration and maintain the desired configuration while the shaft and inflatable balloon are advanced over the inner guide member.
5. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein the inner guide member has an inner diameter in the range of 0.020 and 0.050 inches.
6. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 5 , wherein the inner guide member has an inner diameter in the range of 0.036 and 0.040 inches.
7. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein the inner guide member has a wall thickness in the range of 0.005 and 0.020 inches.
8. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 7 , wherein the inner guide member has a wall thickness in the range of 0.008 and 0.012 inches.
9. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein the inner guide member includes a curved distal end, wherein the radius of curvature of the curved distal end is between 0.25 and 1.5 inches.
10. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 9 , wherein the inner guide member includes a curved distal end, wherein the radius of curvature of the curved distal end is between 0.75 and 1.25 inches.
11. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein the blunt distal end of the inner guide member has a diameter of between 1 and 3 millimeters.
12. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , further including a tracking element disposed in the handle for use with an image guided surgery system.
13. The balloon dilation catheter of claim 1 , wherein a flexible guide wire is disposed within the first lumen of the inner guide member.