Patent ID: 9457173
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: A61M

Claim Text:
1. A method of providing access to a salivary duct having a salivary duct opening, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a balloon catheter having a balloon catheter proximal end and a balloon catheter distal end into said salivary duct opening such that the balloon catheter distal end is disposed in said salivary duct, the balloon catheter comprising a sheath, an elongate tubular member, and a balloon disposed on the elongate tubular member and moveable between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration, the sheath having a sheath distal end; navigating the balloon catheter distal end into said salivary duct such that a portion of the balloon is disposed within said salivary duct; passing a fluid into the balloon to move the balloon from the deflated configuration to the inflated configuration and to dilate said salivary duct opening to a dilated salivary duct opening; removing a portion, or the entirety, of the fluid from the balloon; advancing the sheath distally to pass the sheath distal end through the dilated salivary duct opening such that a portion of the sheath is disposed within said salivary duct; and withdrawing the elongate tubular member from said salivary duct.