Patent ID: 8333757

Claim:
A balloon catheter comprising: a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; an inflatable balloon having a proximal end that is anchored to the distal end of the catheter shaft; an elongate member that is separate from and disposed inside the catheter shaft, extends into an interior chamber of the inflatable balloon, is anchored to a distal end of the inflatable balloon, and is anchored to the proximal end of the catheter shaft; and a spring member that exerts a distally-oriented longitudinal force on the elongate member, relative to the catheter shaft, wherein the distally-oriented longitudinal force causes the inflatable balloon to be biased in an extended position, away from the distal end of the catheter shaft; wherein some slack in the form of an extra length of the elongate member is disposed between the proximal end of the catheter shaft and the spring member.