RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/786,532 filed March 15, 2013 entitled Expandable Catheter, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Intravascular catheters can be used for a variety of different purposes, such as delivering prosthetic devices or providing therapeutic treatment to various locations in a patient's body. Since these catheters must travel through tortuous pathways of variously-sized vessels, they are constructed so as to allow some bending and torque transmission without kinking, bursting, breaking apart, or otherwise substantially changing shape. Typically, these properties are achieved by including a reinforcement layer within the catheter in the form of a coil or braid, using materials such as stainless steel, Kevlar, Dacron, liquid crystal polymer, or materials of similar characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] One embodiment according to the present invention is directed to a catheter with an elastic reinforcement layer which allows its catheter tube to expand from a native diameter to an expanded diameter. In this respect, a device or implant with a larger diameter than that of the catheter tube's native diameter size can be passed through the catheter without damage.

[0004] In one embodiment, the catheter comprises a reinforcement layer that includes a plurality of braided, shape-memory wires. In another embodiment, the reinforcement layer can include both braided, superelastic wires and an elastic material. The reinforcement layer can extend the entire length of the catheter tube or can terminate prior to either the proximal or distal ends. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] These and other aspects, features and advantages of which embodiments of the invention are capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0006] Fig. 1 is a side view of a catheter with an elastic reinforcement layer;

[0007] Figs. 2-3 are partial cut-away views of the catheter of Fig. 1 ;

[0008] Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of a catheter tube with an elastic reinforcement layer; and,

[0009] Fig. 5 is a partial cut-away view of the catheter tube from Fig. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0011] Figures 1 , 2, and 3 illustrate an intravascular catheter 100 with an elastic reinforcement layer that allows the catheter tube 104 to radially expand when a large implant 108 or a similar device is moved through it. Once the implant 108 has passed, the tube 104 can contract back to its native diameter. In this regard, a physician may select a generally smaller diameter catheter for a procedure than would otherwise be selected, while allowing devices/implants 108 larger than the catheter's native diameter to also be passed through. Additionally, the elastic nature of the catheter 100 prevents these larger devices/implants 108 from damaging the catheter 100 or from being damaged themselves. [0012] In one embodiment seen in Figures 4 and 5, the catheter tube 104 is at least composed of an outer layer 1 10, an elastic reinforcement layer 1 12, and an inner layer 1 14. In one example, the reinforcement layer is composed of a plurality of braided, woven, or coiled wires made of one or more super-elastic shape-memory materials. Example braids for catheter reinforcement could be constructed from 16 to 48 wires, with a range of patterns to provide the reinforcement layer. Examples of braid patterns include a diamond pattern half-load (one wire over one, under one), a diamond pattern full load (two wires under two, over two), or regular braid pattern (one wire under two, over two). See Figures attached. Picks per inch (PPI) could be in the range of 50 - 100 PPI. Examples of such shape-memory material include: nickel titanium (also known as Nitinol), cobalt-chromium, titanium-palladium-nickel, nickel-titanium-copper, gold- cadmium, iron-zinc-copper-aluminum, titanium-niobium-aluminum, hafnium-titanium- nickel, iron-manganese-silicon, tantalum, shape-memory polyurethanes, and any other shape-memory metal, alloy, or polymer that is known in the art. In another example, the shape-memory wire can have a round diameter or can be a rectangular, ribbon shape. In another example, the elastic reinforcement layer 1 12 comprises a combination of braided, shape-memory wires and a second elastomer layer, such as elastic fibers interwoven within the superelastic braid. Elastomers in this application do not require high elongation and could include nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin blends, and styrenic block copolymers.

[0013] In another example, the reinforcement layer 1 12 is biased or memory set (e.g., heat set) to a native or default diameter that allows for further expansion. For example, the reinforcement layer 1 12 braided and memory set to a diameter of about 0.200 inches and can further expand to a diameter of about 0.250 inches to accommodate a large implant.

[0014] Preferably, the inner layer 1 14 and outer layer 1 10 allow or accommodate the expansion of the reinforcement layer 1 12. In one example, both layers 1 10 and 1 14 are composed of an elastic polymer that stretches and compresses/retracts along with the reinforcement layer 1 14. Examples of such material include polyetheramide (pebax), other nylons, polyurethanes, and fluoropolymers (PTFE, FEP, etc.). Preferably, the inner layer 1 14 is either composed of a low friction material or includes a low friction coating to facilitate movement of devices/implants through the catheter tube 104. In another example, the inner layer 1 14 and outer layer 1 12 are composed of a non- compliant or semi-compliant material that folds or "bunches" in one or more areas in the native diameter and opens or spreads out when expanded by a device/implant.

[0015] Preferably, the catheter tube 104 includes one or more radiopaque marker rings 1 16 composed of a radiopaque material such as platinum or titanium, as seen in Figure 4. In the example of Figure 4, the ring 1 16 includes a diagonal cut 1 16A which allows the ring to open or separate as a larger device or implant is passed through. In other words, the ring 1 16 has a generally "C" shape. In another example, the radiopaque marker can be a coil. The reinforcement layer 1 12 may also further include one or more radiopaque wires woven amongst the shape-memory wires to provide a physician with further visual cues during a procedure.

[0016] In one embodiment, the reinforcement layer 1 12 extends entirely between the proximal and distal end of the catheter tube 104. In another embodiment, the reinforcement layer 1 12 extends only partially along the length of the catheter tube 104. In another example, the reinforcement layer 1 12 extends from a proximal end of the catheter tube 104 to a location between about 1 mm to 10mm from the distal tip, such that no further reinforcement is present near the distal end. In another example embodiment, the reinforcement layer 1 12 is only extend from the distal end of the tube 104 to a location between about 1 mm to 10mm proximally.

[0017] In one example operational use of the catheter, a distal end of a guidewire is advanced near a target location within a patient and the catheter 100 is advanced over the guidewire. The guidewire is removed and an implant delivery device 106 (e.g., prosthetic heart valve delivery device) is advanced into the catheter's hub 102. Since the implant 108 of the delivery device 106 is somewhat larger than the catheter tube 104, the reinforcement layer 1 12, as well as layers 1 10 and 1 14, expand outwardly at region 104A. As the implant 108 advances down the catheter tube 104, it expands distal portions of the tube 104 while proximal portions of the tube 104 compress or return to its native diameter. Finally, the implant 108 is advance out of the distal end of the catheter tube 104 as seen in Figure 3. [0018] In some circumstances, the implant 108 (or device) must be retracted back into the catheter. Since prior art catheters tend not to expand, this retraction or retrieval can exert unwanted force on the implant or device. However, since the present catheter 100 can expand, these retrieval forces are reduced as compared to a similarly-sized catheter. Hence, the present catheter 100 may provide a gentler retraction process.

[0019] Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.