Patent ID: 8282667

Claim:
A method of treating a sinus cavity of a subject using a balloon dilation catheter, the method comprising: providing a balloon dilation catheter that includes a handle, a substantially rigid inner guide member sealed to and extending longitudinally from the handle, a moveable shaft coupled to a balloon and slidably mounted on the substantially rigid inner guide member, and the handle comprising a balloon advancement member configured to advance the shaft and the balloon in a distal direction over the substantially rigid inner guide member; advancing the handle to place the substantially rigid inner guide member to a desired location in a drainage pathway of the sinus cavity of the subject via a nasal passageway; sliding the balloon advancement member to advance the shaft and the balloon in the distal direction over the substantially rigid inner guide member while keeping the substantially rigid inner guide member static relative to the desired location in the drainage pathway, wherein advancing the shaft and balloon places the balloon at the desired location in the drainage pathway; and inflating the balloon.