Vascular Dilator for Controlling Blood Flow in a Blood Vessel

Abstract

A vascular dilator for controlling blood flow in a blood vessel, includes an elongate body for inserting into a blood vessel and a generally tapered distal end portion and a proximal end portion, and a plurality of inflatable members positioned adjacent the distal end portion. The inflatable members are longitudinally spaced from one another by a predetermined distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dilator-introducer sheath complex for allowing repair of an aneurysm in an arterial blood vessel of a subject by first stopping the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel, consisting of:
 a) a dilator, consisting of:
 i) an elongate generally rigid body having a length, a proximal end portion and distal end portion; 
 ii) a tapered distal end portion; 
 iii) a plurality of inflatable members positioned adjacent the distal end portion on the elongate generally rigid body; 
 iv) the plurality of inflatable members being longitudinally spaced from one another by a distance of 2 cm to less than 5 cm and being proximal to the tapered distal end portion; and 
 v) the elongate generally rigid body having a solid tubular structure with a generally uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, and including a plurality of peripherally oriented lumens in fluid communication with the respective plurality of inflatable members and a central channel for extending a guidewire therethrough; 
   b) an introducer sheath including an open distal end portion and a proximal end portion;   c) the dilator being slidably positioned inside of the introducer sheath to position a selected one of the plurality of inflatable members adjacent the open distal end portion of the introducer sheath; and   d) wherein, upon inflation, the selected one inflatable member stops the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel for allowing repair of the aneurysm.   
     
     
         2 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) said proximal end portion of said elongate generally rigid body includes a marker for indicating a position of one of the plurality of inflatable members inside an arterial blood vessel.   
     
     
         3 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 2 , wherein:
 a) said marker comprises a visual or tactile member.   
     
     
         4 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) said proximal end portion of said elongate generally rigid body includes a plurality of markers for indicating positions of the corresponding plurality of inflatable members inside an arterial blood vessel.   
     
     
         5 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the selected one inflatable member stops an antegrade flow of blood.   
     
     
         6 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a) another of the plurality of inflation members, when positioned adjacent the open distal end portion of the introducer sheath and inflated, stops a retrograde flow of blood.   
     
     
         7 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the selected one inflatable member stops a retrograde flow of blood.   
     
     
         8 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the arterial blood vessel includes a thoracic aorta, an abdominal aorta, or an iliac artery.   
     
     
         9 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the aneurysm includes a perforation, tear, or rupture.   
     
     
         10 . A dilator-introducer sheath complex for repairing a bleeding point in an arterial blood vessel of a subject by first stopping the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel, consisting of:
 a) a dilator, consisting of:
 i) an elongate generally rigid body having a length, a proximal end portion and distal end portion; 
 ii) a tapered distal end portion; 
 iii) a plurality of inflatable members positioned adjacent the distal end portion on the elongate generally rigid body; 
 iv) the plurality of inflatable members being longitudinally spaced from one another by a distance of 2 cm to less than 5 cm and being proximal to the tapered distal end portion; and 
 v) the elongate generally rigid body having a solid tubular structure with a generally uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, and including a plurality of peripherally oriented lumens in fluid communication with the respective plurality of inflatable members and a central channel for extending a guidewire therethrough; 
   b) an introducer sheath including an open distal end portion and a proximal end portion;   c) the dilator being slidably positioned inside of the introducer sheath to position a selected one of the plurality of inflatable members adjacent the open distal end portion of the introducer sheath; and   d) wherein, upon inflation, the selected one inflatable member stops the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel for allowing repair of the bleeding point.   
     
     
         11 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a) said proximal end portion of said elongate generally rigid body includes a marker for indicating a position of one of the plurality of inflatable members inside an arterial blood vessel.   
     
     
         12 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 11 , wherein:
 a) said marker comprises a visual or tactile member.   
     
     
         13 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a) said proximal end portion of said elongate generally rigid body includes a plurality of markers for indicating positions of the corresponding plurality of inflatable members inside an arterial blood vessel.   
     
     
         14 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a) the selected one inflatable member stops an antegrade flow of blood.   
     
     
         15 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 14 , wherein:
 a) another of the plurality of inflation members, when positioned adjacent the open distal end portion of the introducer sheath and inflated, stops a retrograde flow of blood.   
     
     
         16 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a) the selected one inflatable member stops a retrograde flow of blood.   
     
     
         17 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the arterial blood vessel includes a thoracic aorta, an abdominal aorta, or an iliac artery.   
     
     
         18 . The dilator-introducer sheath complex of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the bleeding point includes a perforation, tear, or rupture.   
     
     
         19 . A dilator-introducer sheath complex for allowing repair of an aneurysm in an arterial blood vessel of a subject by first stopping the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel, consisting of:
 a) a dilator, consisting of:
 i) an elongate generally rigid body having a length, a proximal end portion and distal end portion; 
 ii) a tapered distal end portion; 
 iii) a plurality of inflatable members positioned adjacent the distal end portion on the elongate generally rigid body; 
 iv) the plurality of inflatable members being longitudinally spaced from one another by a distance of 2 cm to less than 5 cm and being proximal to the tapered distal end portion; and 
 v) the elongate generally rigid body having a solid tubular structure with a generally uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, and including a plurality of peripherally oriented lumens in fluid communication with the respective plurality of inflatable members and a central channel for extending a guidewire therethrough; 
   b) an introducer sheath including an open distal end portion and a proximal end portion;   c) the dilator for slidably positioning inside of the introducer sheath to position a selected one of the plurality of inflatable members adjacent the open distal end portion of the introducer sheath; and   d) wherein, upon inflation, the selected one inflatable member stops the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel for allowing repair of the aneurysm.   
     
     
         20 . A dilator-introducer sheath complex for repairing a bleeding point in an arterial blood vessel of a subject by first stopping the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel, consisting of:
 a) a dilator, consisting of:
 i) an elongate generally rigid body having a length, a proximal end portion and distal end portion; 
 ii) a tapered distal end portion; 
 iii) a plurality of inflatable members positioned adjacent the distal end portion on the elongate generally rigid body; 
 iv) the plurality of inflatable members being longitudinally spaced from one another by a distance of 2 cm to less than 5 cm and being proximal to the tapered distal end portion; and 
 v) the elongate generally rigid body having a solid tubular structure with a generally uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, and including a plurality of peripherally oriented lumens in fluid communication with the respective plurality of inflatable members and a central channel for extending a guidewire therethrough; 
   b) an introducer sheath including an open distal end portion and a proximal end portion;   c) the dilator for slidably positioning inside of the introducer sheath to position a selected one of the plurality of inflatable members adjacent the open distal end portion of the introducer sheath; and   d) wherein, upon inflation, the selected one inflatable member stops the flow of blood through the arterial blood vessel for allowing repair of the bleeding point.