Reduced slippage balloon catheter and method of using same

Abstract

A balloon catheter having a balloon with a reduced slippage lubricious coating, and a method of performing a medical procedure such as a balloon dilatation procedure in a patient's blood vessel. The second coating (i.e., the balloon coating) is lubricious to facilitate movement of the catheter in the patient's body lumen, yet has sufficiently low lubricity such that the slippage of the inflated balloon from a desired site within the blood vessel is reduced compared to a balloon coated with the first lubricious coating.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of performing a balloon dilatation procedure in a patient's blood vessel, comprising:
 a) advancing a balloon catheter within a patient's blood vessel to a desired position of a stenosed section, the balloon catheter comprising a shaft having a first lubricious coating with a first amount per unit area of lubricious material on at least a portion of the shaft, and a balloon on a distal shaft section having an inflatable working length and a second lubricious coating with a second amount per unit area of lubricious material, the second amount per unit area being less than the first amount per unit area; and   b) inflating the balloon so that the balloon working length contacts and dilates the stenosed section of the blood vessel.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the second amount per unit area is not more than about 2.5% of the first amount per unit area, and including deflating the balloon and withdrawing the balloon catheter from the blood vessel, with the lubricious coatings facilitating movement of the catheter within the blood vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein a majority of the length of the balloon working length remains in contact with the stenosed section of the blood vessel during inflation of the balloon and dilatation of the stenosed section. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the balloon inflates into contact with the blood vessel with an insubstantial amount of longitudinal slippage proximally or distally from the desired position in the blood vessel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the balloon coated with the second lubricious coating has a slip angle which is greater than a slip angle of a balloon coated with a lubricious coating having an amount per unit area of the lubricious material which is about 5% to about 100% of the first amount per unit area, so that the balloon inflates with less slippage than a balloon coated with the lubricious coating having about 5% to about 100% of the first amount per unit area of lubricious material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the balloon inflates without slipping proximally or distally from the desired position in the blood vessel. 
     
     
         17 - 19 . (canceled)