| abstract |
An apparatus used in balloon angioplasty and/or stenting in a first embodiment includes a guide wire, a balloon catheter that ensleeves the guide wire, and a guide catheter that ensleeves the balloon catheter. The balloon catheter has a plurality of longitudinally-extending, circumferentially spaced apart slots formed in it to define a plurality of elongate members between the slots. A joint is formed at the proximal, distal, and mid-point of each elongate member. Displacing the respective proximal and distal joints toward one another causes the respective middle joints to displace radially outwardly, and radial inward travel of the middle joints is caused by increasing the distance between the proximal and distal joints. A bead is formed in the distal end of the guide wire and retraction of the guide wire causes the bead to abut the distal end of the balloon catheter and displace it in a distal-to-proximal direction, opening the elongate, jointed members. A mesh that captures emboli while allowing blood perfusion partially overlies the jointed members and is opened when the jointed members are opened and closed when they are closed. The guide catheter is used to close the jointed members and the emboli-capturing mesh at the conclusion of the angioplasty procedure. In a second embodiment, the jointed members are formed in an inner lumen received with a delivery catheter. In a variation of the second embodiment, a predetermined extent of the inner lumen is enlarged to facilitate the formation of the jointed members. In a third embodiment, a guide wire having an outer coil and an inner rod that is slideably received within it is modified so that the jointed members are formed in the outer coil and the mesh is opened and closed by axially retracting and advancing the inner rod with respect to the outer coil, respectively. |