Patent ID: 7771449

Claim:
A balloon catheter, comprising: a) an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen, wherein a distal portion of the shaft is within and bonded to an outer sheath, the outer sheath having a wedge-shaped distal end, with a distal end of the shaft located distal to at least part of the wedge-shaped distal end such that the wedge-shaped distal end extends around a circumference of the shaft by an amount which is greater than 0° and less than 360° when viewed in a cross sectional plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and which decreases distally toward the distal end of the wedge-shaped distal end; and b) an inflatable balloon on a distal shaft section, having a proximal and a distal skirt section bonded to the shaft and having an inflatable section therebetween with an interior in fluid communication with the at least one lumen of the shaft, wherein the outer sheath is a sleeve member having at least a portion distal to the balloon distal skirt section.