MRI visible catheter balloon

Abstract

Medical devices or components thereof, and particularly intracorporeal devices for therapeutic or diagnostic uses, which are formed at least in part of a polymeric material and a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material, so that the medical device or component thereof is visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. In one embodiment, the medical device is a balloon catheter having an MRI visible balloon. In a presently preferred embodiment, there is an insufficient amount of the ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material within a wall of the balloon or coated onto a wall of the balloon to make the balloon radiopaque.

1 - 21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A method of performing a medical procedure, comprising 
 a) introducing a balloon catheter into a patient's body lumen, the balloon catheter having an elongated shaft, and an expandable balloon on a distal shaft section which is visible under magnetic resonance imaging and which is formed of a polymeric material having an amount of ferromagnetic material or paramagnetic material dispersed in the polymeric material, the amount of ferromagnetic or paramagnetic mate rial being sufficient to make the balloon visible under magnetic resonance imaging; and    b) positioning the balloon at a desired location within the body lumen by visualizing the balloon under magnetic resonance imaging.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  including inflating the balloon and visualizing the inflated balloon under magnetic resonance imaging.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  including observing the balloon inflate against a lesion in the body lumen, to thereby determine the compliance of the lesion.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the balloon is visualized as a dark image under magnetic resonance imaging.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  including introducing a paramagnetic containing contrast solution into the balloon which appears as a bright background under magnetic resonance imaging during the visualization of the balloon.