CPC A61M 25/104 (2013.01) [A61B 17/22 (2013.01); A61B 2017/22001 (2013.01); A61B 2017/22038 (2013.01); A61B 2017/22062 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
1. A method that treats a lesion within a vessel lumen of a patient, the method comprising:
selecting an adjustable-balloon-length balloon catheter;
preparing the patient to receive the adjustable-balloon-length balloon catheter;
selecting a balloon length that does not exceed the length of the lesion when a selected balloon of the selected length is inflated to a first treatment pressure Pmin;
centering the selected balloon at the distal end of the balloon catheter within a portion of a vessel lumen containing the lesion;
raising an internal pressure of the selected balloon to Pi, an internal pressure at which the selected balloon unfolds and assumes an inflated shape sufficiently slowly to avoid generating vessel-damaging forces during unfolding and/or initial inflation stages of the balloon;
raising the internal pressure of the selected balloon to the first treatment pressure Pmin, a minimum therapeutic pressure sufficient to initiate disruption of the lesion without damaging the vessel lumen; and
removing any remaining secondary lesions by reconfiguring the balloon catheter to produce shorter inflated balloon lengths and using internal balloon pressures higher than Pmin.
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