Balloon catheter with integrated stop feature for precise stent placement, for ostial, renal and other locations

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering a medical device to a vessel within a mammalian body are provided. The medical device may have a tubular body with an interior and an exterior surface. A delivery device may include a balloon assembly having one or more balloons, with a proximal and portion with the medical device mounted thereon. When the balloon assembly is partially inflated the proximal portion has a larger diameter than the distal portion which may be inserted into the vessel. The proximal portion may have a sufficiently large diameter that prevents it from being inserted into the vessel and permits it to function as a stop. The balloon assembly may be further inflated to deploy the medical device within the vessel. The medical device diameter may expand and optionally contact the interior surface of the vessel when deployed. Alternatively, the invention may be configured to dilate tissue, without deploying a medical device.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method for delivering a medical device to a vessel within a mammalian body, said method comprising:
 providing the medical device, wherein the medical device has a tubular body having an exterior surface and an interior surface, and a first end and a second end that define a length between the first end and the second end;   providing a balloon assembly comprising one or more balloons, wherein the balloon assembly has a distal portion and a proximal portion, and wherein the medical device is provided on the distal portion of the balloon assembly, thereby permitting the distal portion of the balloon assembly to contact the interior surface of the medical device;   at least partially inflating the balloon assembly so that the proximal portion of the balloon assembly has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the balloon assembly with the medical device thereon;   inserting the distal portion of the balloon assembly and the medical device into the vessel so that the proximal portion of the balloon assembly does not enter the vessel; and   further inflating the balloon assembly so that the distal portion expands in diameter, thereby deploying the medical device within the vessel.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the medical device is a stent. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the medical device is a graft. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a single balloon, and wherein the proximal portion of the single balloon has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the single balloon. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a plurality of balloons. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the plurality of balloons are inflated together. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the plurality of balloons are inflated separately. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the medical device deployed within the vessel does not extend outside the vessel. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the exterior surface of the medical device deployed within the vessel contacts the interior surface of the vessel. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly tapers to a smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly abruptly becomes the smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the vessel is an artery. 
     
     
         47 . A delivery device for delivering a medical device to a vessel within a mammalian body, said delivery device comprising:
 a balloon assembly comprising one or more balloons, wherein the balloon assembly has a distal portion and a proximal portion,   wherein a medical device is provided on the distal portion of the balloon assembly, the medical device having a tubular body having an exterior surface and an interior surface, and a first end and a second end that define a length between the first end and the second end, thereby permitting the distal portion of the balloon assembly to contact the interior surface of the medical device, and   wherein the balloon assembly is configured to have (i) an at least partially inflated state wherein the proximal portion of the balloon assembly has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the balloon assembly, thereby permitting the distal portion of the balloon assembly and the medical device to be inserted into the vessel and not permitting the proximal portion of the balloon assembly to enter the vessel, and (ii) a further inflated state wherein the distal portion is expanded in diameter, thereby deploying the medical device within the vessel.   
     
     
         48 . The delivery device of  claim 46  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a single balloon, wherein the proximal portion of the single balloon has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the single balloon. 
     
     
         49 . The delivery device of  claim 46  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a plurality of balloons. 
     
     
         50 . The delivery device of  claim 48  wherein interiors of the plurality of balloons are in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
         51 . The delivery device of  claim 48  wherein interiors of the plurality of balloons are not in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
         52 . The delivery device of  claim 46  wherein the medical device deployed within the vessel does not extend outside the vessel. 
     
     
         53 . The delivery device of  claim 46  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly tapers to a smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         54 . The delivery device of  claim 46  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly abruptly becomes the smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         55 . The delivery device of  claim 46  wherein the vessel is an artery. 
     
     
         56 . A method for dilating tissue of a vessel within a mammalian body, said method comprising:
 providing a balloon assembly comprising one or more balloons, wherein the balloon assembly has a distal portion and a proximal portion;   at least partially inflating the balloon assembly so that the proximal portion of the balloon assembly has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the balloon assembly;   inserting the distal portion of the balloon assembly into the vessel so that the proximal portion of the balloon assembly does not enter the vessel; and   further inflating the balloon assembly so that the distal portion expands in diameter, thereby contacting an interior surface of the vessel and dilating the tissue of the vessel.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a single balloon, and wherein the proximal portion of the single balloon has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the single balloon. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a plurality of balloons. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the plurality of balloons are inflated together. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the plurality of balloons are inflated separately. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly tapers to a smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly abruptly becomes the smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the vessel is an artery. 
     
     
         64 . A dilation device for dilating tissue of a vessel within a mammalian body, said dilation device comprising:
 a balloon assembly comprising one or more balloons, wherein the balloon assembly has a distal portion and a proximal portion,   wherein the balloon assembly is configured to have (i) an at least partially inflated state wherein the proximal portion of the balloon assembly has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the balloon assembly, thereby permitting the distal portion of the balloon assembly to be inserted into the vessel and not permitting the proximal portion of the balloon assembly to enter the vessel, and (ii) a further inflated state wherein the distal portion is expanded in diameter, thereby contacting an interior surface of the vessel and dilating the tissue of the vessel.   
     
     
         65 . The delivery device of  claim 64  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a single balloon, wherein the proximal portion of the single balloon has a larger diameter than the distal portion of the single balloon. 
     
     
         66 . The delivery device of  claim 64  wherein the balloon assembly comprises a plurality of balloons. 
     
     
         67 . The delivery device of  claim 66  wherein interiors of the plurality of balloons are in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
         68 . The delivery device of  claim 66  wherein interiors of the plurality of balloons are not in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
         69 . The delivery device of  claim 64  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly tapers to a smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         70 . The delivery device of  claim 64  wherein the larger diameter of the proximal portion of the balloon assembly abruptly becomes the smaller diameter of the distal portion. 
     
     
         71 . The delivery device of  claim 64  wherein the vessel is an artery.