Patent ID: 7169163
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Abstract:
1. A balloon catheter for dilating a prepared small, tight nasal opening in a wall separating a patient's lacrimal sac and the patient's nasal cavity, comprising a tubular catheter body having a proximal end, a proximal segment, a distal end, and a distal segment; an inflatable member disposed about said distal segment, said distal segment having a slot; said catheter body being closed at a point that is closer to said distal end that is said slot; means for applying fluid under pressure to said proximal end of said catheter body, said fluid under pressure flowing through said slot to inflate said inflatable member for dilating said prepared opening; and said catheter body being formed of a hypotube of sufficient stiffness and column strength to enable said catheter, when said inflatable member is deflated, to be pushed from said nasal cavity through said prepared opening in said lateral nasal wall into said lacrimal sac in the absence of a guide wire or curve retention element; wherein said catheter body is formed of stainless steel and, said catheter body has an outer diameter of 0.083″ and an inner diameter of 0.039″ with a wall thickness of 0.044″.