Balloon catheter system

Abstract

A balloon catheter system enables only a target site to be efficiently ablated, ensuring a balloon to be able to be brought into close contact with the target site in conformity to a shape of the target site. The balloon includes a contact portion that contacts the target site and a noncontact portion that does not contact the target site. A membrane thickness of the contact portion is thinner than that of the noncontact portion The target site that is in contact with the thin contact portion is selectively ablated, while the thick noncontact portion is less likely to exhibit a temperature increase. Hence, only the target portion is efficiently ablated.

1 . A balloon catheter system comprising:
 a catheter shaft comprising an outer tube and an inner tube;   an elastic balloon provided between a distal end of said outer tube and a vicinity of a distal end of said inner tube;   a heating element provided inside said balloon;   a temperature sensor which detects a temperature inside said balloon;   a solution transport path formed between said outer tube and said inner tube, in communication with an inside of said balloon;   a vibration generator which applies vibrational waves to said balloon through said solution transport path; and   a vibrational wave baffle which deflects said vibrational wave inside said balloon,   wherein said balloon includes a contact portion that is to contact a tame site and a noncontact portion that is not to contact said target site, said contact portion having a membrane thickness less than that of said noncontact portion, and   wherein said balloon includes a spherical portion fixed to the distal end of said outer tube and a cylindrical portion that extends from said spherical portion and is fixed to the distal end of said inner tube, while said contact portion is provided in the vicinity of the distal portion of said spherical portion, and said cylindrical portion is formed to have a smaller membrane thickness at the distal portion thereof than at the proximal portion thereof.