Patent ID: 6733459
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
A balloon catheter for an intra-aortic balloon pump comprising:a connector having a gas supply port for supplying an operational gas to an inflatable balloon to inflate or deflate the balloon; a catheter tube having one end connected to said connector and the other end connected to said inflatable balloon; a hollow central tube inserted into said catheter tube and serving as a passageway for a guide wire to be inserted into a blood vessel of a patient's body, the hollow central tube extending outwardly from the other end of said catheter tube; a top end chip provided on one tip end of the hollow central tube, said tip end located on the end of the hollow central tube in the direction of the inflatable balloon for connecting the balloon to the hollow central tube; a pressure-sensing molding material member provided on an outer surface of the hollow central tube in the top end chip, the pressure-sensing molding material member being deformed by blood pressure inwardly of a radial direction of the top end chip; a blood pressure detecting element, being a distortion gage type comprising semiconductors that detect deformation of a diaphragm gage in accordance with a deformation of the pressure sensing solid member as electrical resistance change, disposed on an outer surface of the hollow central tube in the top end chip, wherein said pressure sensing molding material member, when deformed by the blood pressure, contacts only said blood pressure detecting element; and a connecting device for transmitting output signals from said pressure detecting element to an external control device via a signal line disposed in the catheter tube.