IP Library Granted Patent US 12,376,879
Granted Patent B2
US 12,376,879 · App. 18/593,835 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Expandable elements for shunting catheters

Inventor: Rani Abdullah Mahmoudi (Huntington Beach, CA)
Assignee: THERAHEART INC.
A61B17/3403A61B17/00234A61B34/20A61B90/39A61B2017/00199A61B2017/00252A61B2017/00305A61B2017/00411A61B2017/00544A61B2017/00557A61B2034/2046A61B2090/3966
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,376,879
App. No.
18/593,835
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

At least some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for creating a shunt in a patient. In some embodiments, a shunting catheter includes a catheter shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the catheter shaft including a shaft lumen; a balloon shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at a first state and extended from the catheter shaft at a second state; a balloon element disposed on the balloon shaft and expandable at the second state; and at least one electrode of one or more electrodes disposed on the balloon element.

Claims (43)

1. A shunting catheter, comprising:

a catheter shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the catheter shaft including a shaft lumen;

a balloon shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at a first state and extended from the catheter shaft at a second state;

a balloon element disposed on the balloon shaft and expandable at the second state; and

at least one electrode of one or more electrodes disposed on the balloon element;

wherein the balloon element includes a plurality of pleats at the first state;

wherein a first pleat of the plurality of pleats comprises a first pleating surface on a first side of the first pleat and a second pleating surface on a second side of the first pleat;

wherein the second side is opposing to the first side;

wherein a first electrode of the one or more electrodes is disposed entirely on the first pleating surface at the first state;

wherein a second electrode of the one or more electrodes is disposed entirely on the second pleating surface at the first state.

2. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the catheter shaft defines a first axis; wherein the balloon shaft defines a second axis at the second state; wherein the second axis and the first axis form an angle greater than zero degrees.

3. The shunting catheter of claim 2 , wherein the balloon element has a balloon length along the second axis and a balloon width perpendicular to the second axis; wherein the balloon length is greater than the balloon width when the balloon element is inflated.

4. The shunting catheter of claim 2 , wherein the balloon element has a balloon length along the second axis and a balloon width perpendicular to the second axis; wherein the balloon length is smaller than the balloon width when the balloon element is inflated.

5. The shunting catheter of claim 2 , wherein the balloon element has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the second axis; wherein the cross-section shape is circular, oval or rectangular.

6. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the balloon element has a diameter in a range of three millimeters to fifteen millimeters when the balloon element is inflated.

7. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the balloon element has a first inflated state and a second inflated state; wherein the balloon element has a first balloon diameter at the first inflated state; wherein the balloon element has a second balloon diameter at the second inflated state; wherein the first balloon diameter is different from the second balloon diameter.

8. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the balloon element includes a first inflatable portion having a first balloon diameter and a second inflatable portion having a second balloon diameter when the balloon element is inflated; wherein the first balloon diameter is different from the second balloon diameter.

9. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the balloon element includes a narrow section in a middle of the balloon element; wherein the balloon element includes a first section at a distal end of the balloon element and a second section at a proximal end of the balloon element; wherein the narrow section is between the first section and the second section; wherein the narrow section has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first section or a diameter of the second section.

10. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the balloon element comprises:

an anchor component configured to facilitate a placement of the balloon element within a patient; and

a shunting component mechanically coupled to the anchor component.

11. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the anchor component has a first diameter at the second state, wherein the shunting component has a second diameter at the second state, and wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

12. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the at least one electrode of the one or more electrodes is disposed on the shunting component of the balloon element.

13. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the anchor component and the shunting component share an interior lumen.

14. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the anchor component is a first balloon and the shunting component is a second balloon that does not share lumen with the first balloon.

15. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the anchor component is configured to be inflated at a first inflated state and the shunting component is configured to remain deflated at the first inflated state, wherein the anchor component is configured to remain inflated at a second inflated state and the shunting component is configured to be inflated at the second inflated state.

16. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the anchor component is configured to pull back a tissue wall at a first inflated state.

17. The shunting catheter of claim 10 , wherein the anchor component has a proximal surface defining a plane angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the balloon element at the second state.

18. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode of the one or more electrodes has a center portion and a plurality of protrusions extended from the center portion, wherein at least a part of the plurality of protrusions are parallel.

19. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode extends generally parallel to the balloon shaft at the first state.

20. The shunting catheter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode of one or more electrodes includes a grid pattern.

21. A shunting catheter, comprising:

a catheter shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the catheter shaft including a shaft lumen;

a balloon shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at a first state and extended from the catheter shaft at a second state;

a balloon element disposed on the balloon shaft and configured to be expandable at the second state; and

at least one electrode of one or more electrodes disposed on the balloon element;

wherein the balloon element includes an anchor component and a shunting component, the anchor component is configured to position the balloon element at a target location of a patient, and the shunting component has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the anchor component when both the anchor component and the shunting component are inflated;

wherein the shunting component is configured to deliver ablation energy to the target location of the patient,

wherein the balloon element includes a plurality of pleats at the first state;

wherein a first pleat of the plurality of pleats comprises a first pleating surface on a first side of the first pleat and a second pleating surface on a second side of the first pleat;

wherein the second side is opposing to the first side;

wherein a first electrode of the one or more electrodes is disposed entirely on the first pleating surface at the first state;

wherein a second electrode of the one or more electrodes is disposed entirely on the second pleating surface at the first state.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2024
From: MAHMOUDI, RANI ABDULLAH
To: THERAHEART INC.
Reel/Frame 068892/0329 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 63558028 · Feb 26, 2024
Provisional Application 63449878 · Mar 3, 2023
Related Publication 20240293148A1 · Sep 5, 2024
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