Patent ID: 6494861
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A system for controlling delivery of a physiological fluid internally to a patient from a balloon catheter, the balloon catheter comprising a distal balloon connected to a catheter shaft, an inflation-fluid conduit connecting the balloon to a proximal source of pressurized balloon inflation fluid, and a physiological-fluid conduit connecting a fluid-delivery outlet of the balloon catheter to a proximal source of pressurized physiological fluid; the system comprising(a) a controller; (b) an inflation-fluid pressurizer for maintaining inflation fluid in the inflation-fluid conduit under pressure, the inflation-fluid pressurizer being connected to receive signals from the controller to cycle pressure in the inflation-fluid conduit between a balloon inflating pressure and a balloon deflating pressure; (c) a physiological-fluid pressurizer for maintaining physiological fluid in the physiological-fluid conduit under pressure, the physiological-fluid pressurizer being connected to receive signals from the controller to cycle pressure in the physiological-fluid conduit between a fluid delivery pressure and a resting pressure; the controller being programmed to synchronize the signals to the inflation-fluid pressurizer with the signals to the physiological-fluid pressurizer, such that periods of balloon inflating pressure in the inflation-fluid conduit generally overlap with periods of fluid delivery pressure in the physiological-fluid conduit, and periods of balloon deflating pressure in the inflation-fluid conduit generally overlap with periods of resting pressure in the physiological-fluid conduit.