BAILOUT CATHETER FOR FIXED WIRE ANGIOPLASTY.

摘要

An angioplasty catheter (10) comprising a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, with a balloon inflation lumen (16) extending therethrough, a fixed, steerable torquewire (26) extending through at least a protion of the shaft and out of the distal end thereof, an angioplasty balloon (24) on the distal end of the catheter operatively communicating with the balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of the balloon, wherein the proximal end of the balloon is attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft and the distal end of the balloon is attached to the torquewire, and a bailout lumen (20) extending along the catheter shaft from a point ordinarily outside the patient during use to a point proximal of the balloon and normally inside the patient during such use, the bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire and having an outer wall, with the outer wall preferably including a means such as a longitudinally extending slit for laterally removing the catheter from the patient.