US 12,465,730 B2
Balloon catheter with porous outer member for air purging
Kyler Hodgson, Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Assigned to Styker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US); and Stryker European Operations Limited, Carrigtwohill (IE)
Filed by STRYKER CORPORATION, Kalamazoo, MI (US); and STRYKER EUROPEAN OPERATIONS LIMITED, Carrigtwohill (IE)
Filed on Dec. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/567,038.
Application 17/567,038 is a continuation of application No. 16/690,981, filed on Nov. 21, 2019, granted, now 11,241,561.
Prior Publication US 2022/0126071 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 25/10 (2013.01); A61M 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 25/10184 (2013.11) [A61M 5/007 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1077 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1086 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A balloon catheter, comprising:
an elongated, tubular outer member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and an outer member lumen extending therebetween, the tubular outer member having one or more micro-holes through a wall of the outer member, the one or more micro-holes having a nominal size and configured such that when a contrast agent is injected into the outer member lumen, the micro-holes allow air and contrast agent to pass therethrough and thereafter become clogged by plugs formed in the micro-holes by the contrast agent and thereby seal the one or more micro-holes from allowing contrast agent and air to pass through the micro-holes;
a balloon member secured to an outer surface of the outer member, and having an inflatable balloon interior;
an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the inflatable balloon interior and the outer member lumen; and
the outer member having one or more inflation passages through the wall of the outer member underlying the balloon member that form a fluid pathway between the inflation lumen and the balloon interior, wherein the one or more inflation passages are configured such that the one or more inflation passages are not clogged by the contrast agent when contrast agent is injected through the one or more inflation passages to inflate the balloon member.