Patent ID: 6847848

Claim:
In apparatus for use in providing a minimally-invasive treatment of diseased sub-cutaneous tissue of a patient, said apparatus comprising an integrated-structure inflatable-balloon catheter that includes a longitudinal structure having a sharply-pointed insertion needle at a distal end of said longitudinal structure and an inflatable balloon situated intermediate a proximate end and said distal end of said longitudinal structure which is attached to said longitudinal structure, whereby, with said inflatable balloon in a deflated state, said insertion needle may be used to puncture said patient's skin and underlying sub-cutaneous tissue and place said deflated balloon in proximity to said diseased sub-cutaneous tissue; means for inflating said inflatable balloon in said place to cause said inflated balloon to press against and thereby spatially deform said diseased sub-cutaneous tissue; and means, effective with said inflatable balloon remaining inflated in said place, for therapeutically heating said deformed diseased sub-cutaneous tissue; the improvement wherein said longitudinal structure comprises: a flexible hollow plastic body having (1) first length and first width dimensions, (2) said insertion needle being attached to a distal end of said plastic body and (3) said inflatable balloon being attached to an exterior surface of said plastic body; a rigid retractable sheath surrounding said plastic body, said sheath having a second length dimension which is substantially shorter than said first length dimension which permits said sheath to be moved between an unretracted state in which its distal end is situated in proximity to said insertion needle and a retracted state, and said sheath having a second width dimension which is sufficiently larger than said first width dimension to permit said inflatable balloon in a furled deflated state to be stored in a space between said outer surface of said plastic body and an interior surface of said sheath when said sheath is situated in said unretracted state and permit said inflatable balloon to be removed from said space and unfurl when said sheath is in said retracted state; whereby said insertion needle may be first used to puncture said patient's skin and underlying sub-cutaneous tissue and place said deflated balloon in proximity to said diseased sub-cutaneous tissue with said retractable sheath in said unretracted state and then said retractable sheath may be retracted to thereby permit said deflated balloon to be inflated.