Manipulatable delivery catheter for occlusive devices (II)

Abstract

This is in the general field of surgical instruments and is specifically a delivery catheter with a flexible, proximally-manipulated hinge or joint region. The inventive catheter may have a balloon region. The catheter may have a shaft of varying flexibility which contains several lumen. The inner, or delivery, lumen generally may be used with a guidewire to access target sites within the body via the flexible, small diameter vessels of the body. The delivery lumen may be also used for placement of occlusive materials, e.g., in an aneurysm. Inflation of the micro-balloon, located near the distal tip of the catheter, is effected using the inflation lumen. The push/pull wire lumen contains a wire, which when manipulated, flexes the catheter's distal tip. The push/pull wire tubing may have a variable thickness to aid in adjusting the degree of flexibility. Moreover, the delivery catheter may be capable of twisting in a helical or corkscrew-like manner for traversing certain vasculature. This may be accomplished by winding the push/pull wire within the catheter and fixedly attaching it. The catheter may further include an entry in the catheter wall to allow for the insertion of a guidewire; this may facilitate the rapid exchange of catheter devices as desired by the user.

1 - 24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . A catheter section, comprising: 
 a catheter shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;    a balloon region of said catheter shaft comprising a distal end and a proximal end and defining an axis therebetween;    an inflatable member disposed in said balloon region;    a flexible joint region disposed within said catheter shaft;    a first tubing member having a distal end and a proximal end, and a lumen, and extending through said balloon region;    a guide wire insertable through and removable from said first tubing member;    said catheter shaft defining an entry through which said guide wire is inserted, said entry being located along said catheter shaft at a predetermined location proximal to the distal end of the catheter shaft and distal to the proximal end of the catheter shaft;    a second tubing member further disposed in said catheter shaft, said second tubing member having a distal end and a proximal end and an axis therebetween; and    a wire configured to move said distal end about said flexible joint region, said wire being disposed within said second tubing member.    
     
     
         26 . The catheter section of  claim 25 , wherein said flexible joint region is distal to said inflatable member.  
     
     
         27 . The catheter section of  claim 25 , wherein said flexible joint region is within said inflatable member.  
     
     
         28 . The catheter section of  claim 25 , wherein said flexible joint region is proximal to said inflatable member.  
     
     
         29 . The catheter section of  claim 25 , wherein said second tubing member has a variable wall thickness.  
     
     
         30 . The catheter section of  claim 29 , wherein said second tubing member has a stepped distal end having a series of distally decreasing cross-sectional areas.  
     
     
         31 . The catheter section of  claim 29 , wherein said second tubing member has a distally tapered wall with distally decreasing wall thickness.