Patent ID: 6790222
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A delivery catheter for delivering and deploying an endovascular graft system at a desired location within a vessel of a patient's vascular system comprising:a handle; a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end being connected to the handle, the shaft having an outer surface and defining an inflation lumen and a guidewire lumen; a balloon attached at a location spaced from a distal end of the catheter, the balloon having an interior in fluid communication with the inflation lumen; a transition element affixed to the balloon, the transition element having a distal portion between the balloon and distal end of the catheter, the distal portion being configured to provide increasing stiffness from the distal end of the catheter to the balloon, the transition element also having a proximal portion proximal to the balloon, the proximal portion tapers inwardly to a small diameter, the shaft, balloon and transition element together forming a portion of an inner catheter; and an outer sheath defining a lumen containing the inner catheter, the outer sheath configured to move from an unretracted position to a retracted position, the outer sheath having a distal end positioned about the balloon when in the unretracted position.