Carotid artery occluding apparatus with first and second occluding balloons

1. An apparatus for preventing stroke by occluding blood flow through a right carotid artery and a left carotid artery of a patient, comprising:

an insertion device that defines a first occluding catheter channel and a second occluding catheter channel;

a first occluding catheter that carries a first occluding balloon that has an inflated configuration that occludes either the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery, the first occluding catheter configured to be movable within the first occluding catheter channel; and

a second occluding catheter that carries a second occluding balloon that has an inflated configuration that occludes the other one of the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery that is not occluded by the first occluding balloon, the second occluding catheter configured to be movable within the second occluding catheter channel;

wherein the first occluding catheter has a first occluding catheter shaft, wherein a first inflation channel is defined by the first occluding catheter shaft, wherein the first inflation channel extends from a first proximal inflation port to a first occluding balloon opening, wherein the first occluding catheter shaft defines a first pressure measurement channel that extends from a first proximal measurement port to a first distal opening;

wherein the second occluding catheter has a second occluding catheter shaft, wherein a second inflation channel is defined by the second occluding catheter shaft, wherein the second inflation channel extends from a second proximal inflation port to a second occluding balloon opening, wherein the second occluding catheter shaft defines a second pressure measurement channel that extends from a second proximal measurement port to a second distal opening;

wherein the insertion device has a first proximal opening from which the first occluding catheter channel extends to a first distal opening of the insertion device, wherein the insertion device has a second proximal opening from which the second occluding catheter channel extends to a second distal opening of the insertion device; and

wherein the first occluding catheter channel ends in an insertion device first distal opening, wherein the second occluding catheter channel ends in an insertion device second distal opening, wherein the orientations and positions of the insertion device first distal opening and the insertion device second distal opening specifically correspond to the locations and orifices of an innominate artery and the left carotid artery correlating with an average distance between these two orifices ranging from 0.5 centimeters to 5.0 centimeters for direct catheterization and occlusion of the innominate artery and the left carotid artery, wherein both the insertion device first distal opening and the insertion device second distal opening are located on the same side of the insertion device and both are configured to directly face the orifices of the innominate artery and the left carotid artery.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and is located in an innominate artery of the patient and occludes flow to the right carotid artery and a right subclavian artery of the patient, wherein the second occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and is located in the left carotid artery and occludes the left carotid artery.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and is located in the right carotid artery and occludes the right carotid artery and does not occlude a right subclavian artery of the patient, and wherein the second occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and is located in the left carotid artery and occludes the left carotid artery.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the insertion device defines a pressure measurement channel that extends from a pressure measurement proximal opening to a pressure measurement distal opening, wherein the pressure measurement channel is not in fluid communication with the first occluding catheter channel and is not in fluid communication with the second occluding catheter channel.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and wherein the second occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration, wherein the first occluding balloon has a first diameter and wherein the second occluding balloon has a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter is from 50%-100% larger than the second diameter.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first occluding catheter and the first occluding balloon are made of a highly compliant material and have a floating capability to reach desired positions in the circulatory system of the patient by being propelled with forward arterial blood flow of the circulatory system;

wherein the second occluding catheter and the second occluding balloon are made of a highly compliant material and have a floating capability to reach desired positions in the circulatory system of the patient by being propelled with forward arterial blood flow of the circulatory system;

wherein the first occluding catheter and the first occluding balloon and the second occluding catheter and the second occluding balloon are positioned without and do not have a guide wire.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an alarm system that activates a pressure supply to the first occluding balloon and the second occluding balloon to inflate the first occluding balloon and the second occluding balloon to the inflated configurations when microemboli are detected, wherein the alarm system deflates the first and second occluding balloons from the inflated configurations when the first and second occluding balloons have remained in the inflated configurations for a cut-off period of time, and wherein the alarm system has a manual override to prevent inflation and deflation by the alarm system.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and completely blocks blood flow through either the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery; and

wherein the second occluding balloon is in the inflated configuration and completely blocks blood flow through the other one of the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery that is not occluded by the first occluding balloon.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first occluding balloon blocks from 30%-100% of the blood flowing through the artery that the first occluding balloon occludes; and wherein the second occluding balloon blocks from 30%-100% of the blood flowing through the artery that the second occluding balloon occludes.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an alarm system that deflates the first and second occluding balloons from the inflated configurations when the first and second occluding balloons have remained in the inflated configurations for a cut-off period of time.

11. An apparatus for preventing stroke by occluding blood flow through a right carotid artery and a left carotid artery of a patient, comprising:

an insertion device that defines a first occluding catheter channel and a second occluding catheter channel;

a first occluding catheter that carries a first occluding balloon that has an inflated configuration that occludes either the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery, wherein the first occluding catheter is located in the first occluding catheter channel and is movable through the first occluding catheter channel such that the first occluding catheter is movable relative to the insertion device; and

a second occluding catheter that carries a second occluding balloon that has an inflated configuration that occludes the other one of the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery that is not occluded by the first occluding balloon, wherein the second occluding catheter is located in the second occluding catheter channel and is movable through the second occluding catheter channel such that the second occluding catheter is movable relative to the insertion device and is movable relative to the first occluding catheter;

wherein the first occluding catheter has a first occluding catheter shaft, wherein a first inflation channel is defined by the first occluding catheter shaft, wherein the first inflation channel extends from a first proximal inflation port to a first occluding balloon opening, wherein the first occluding catheter shaft defines a first pressure measurement channel that extends from a first proximal measurement port to a first distal opening;

wherein the second occluding catheter has a second occluding catheter shaft, wherein a second inflation channel is defined by the second occluding catheter shaft, wherein the second inflation channel extends from a second proximal inflation port to a second occluding balloon opening, wherein the second occluding catheter shaft defines a second pressure measurement channel that extends from a second proximal measurement port to a second distal opening;

wherein the insertion device has a first proximal opening from which the first occluding catheter channel extends to a first distal opening of the insertion device, wherein the insertion device has a second proximal opening from which the second occluding catheter channel extends to a second distal opening of the insertion device; and

wherein the first occluding catheter channel ends in an insertion device first distal opening, wherein the second occluding catheter channel ends in an insertion device second distal opening, wherein the orientations and positions of the insertion device first distal opening and the insertion device second distal opening specifically correspond to the locations and orifices of an innominate artery and the left carotid artery correlating with an average distance between these two orifices ranging from 0.5 centimeters to 5.0 centimeters for direct catheterization and occlusion of the innominate artery and the left carotid artery, wherein both the insertion device first distal opening and the insertion device second distal opening are located on the same side of the insertion device and both are configured to directly face the orifices of the innominate artery and the left carotid artery.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the insertion device defines a pressure measurement channel that extends from a pressure measurement proximal opening to a pressure measurement distal opening, wherein the pressure measurement channel is not in fluid communication with the first occluding catheter channel and is not in fluid communication with the second occluding catheter channel;

wherein the first occluding balloon is located outside of the insertion device and is in the inflated configuration and completely blocks blood flow through the right carotid artery, wherein the second occluding balloon is located outside of the insertion device and is in the inflated configuration and completely blocks blood flow through the left carotid artery.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the first occluding balloon blocks from 30%-100% of the blood flowing through the artery that the first occluding balloon occludes; and wherein the second occluding balloon blocks from 30%-100% of the blood flowing through the artery that the second occluding balloon occludes.

14. A system for preventing stroke by occluding blood flow through a right carotid artery and a left carotid artery of a patient, comprising:

an insertion device that defines a first occluding catheter channel and a second occluding catheter channel;

a first occluding catheter that carries a first occluding balloon that has an inflated configuration that occludes the flow to either the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery, the first occluding catheter configured to be movable within the first occluding catheter channel;

a second occluding catheter that carries a second occluding balloon that has an inflated configuration that occludes the flow to the other one of the right carotid artery or the left carotid artery that is not occluded by the first occluding balloon, the second occluding catheter configured to be movable within the second occluding catheter channel;

a detector selected from the group consisting of angiography, echocardiography, carotid Doppler, arterial pressure and waveform patterns, percutaneous cerebral oximetery, electroencephalography, and transcranial Doppler that detects the presence of emboli; and

an alarm system that initiates inflation of the first and second occluding balloons when the detector detects the emboli;

wherein the first occluding catheter has a first occluding catheter shaft, wherein a first inflation channel is defined by the first occluding catheter shaft, wherein the first inflation channel extends from a first proximal inflation port to a first occluding balloon opening, wherein the first occluding catheter shaft defines a first pressure measurement channel that extends from a first proximal measurement port to a first distal opening;

wherein the second occluding catheter has a second occluding catheter shaft, wherein a second inflation channel is defined by the second occluding catheter shaft, wherein the second inflation channel extends from a second proximal inflation port to a second occluding balloon opening, wherein the second occluding catheter shaft defines a second pressure measurement channel that extends from a second proximal measurement port to a second distal opening;

wherein the insertion device has a first proximal opening from which the first occluding catheter channel extends to a first distal opening of the insertion device, wherein the insertion device has a second proximal opening from which the second occluding catheter channel extends to a second distal opening of the insertion device; and

wherein the first occluding catheter channel ends in an insertion device first distal opening, wherein the second occluding catheter channel ends in an insertion device second distal opening, wherein the orientations and positions of the insertion device first distal opening and the insertion device second distal opening specifically correspond to the locations and orifices of an innominate artery and the left carotid artery correlating with an average distance between these two orifices ranging from 0.5 centimeters to 5.0 centimeters for direct catheterization and occlusion of the innominate artery and the left carotid artery, wherein both the insertion device first distal opening and the insertion device second distal opening are located on the same side of the insertion device and both are configured to directly face the orifices of the innominate artery and the left carotid artery.