Importance

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Abstract

An intravascular catheter having an expandable cage mounted on the distal end of a tubular member which is radially expanded and contracted by means of a control wire. The control wire extends through a first inner lumen within the tubular member which extends along essentially the entire length thereof. A second inner lumen is provided in the distal portion of the tubular member which has a proximal guidewire port at least 15 cm but not more than 60 cm from the distal end of the catheter and a distal guidewire port which opens into the interior of the expandable cage. A guidewire or low profile fixed-wire steerable dilatation catheter is slidably disposed within the second lumen and a flexible tubular element extends through the expandable cage interior to facilitate the rapid exchange of the catheter. The catheter is particularly adapted to hold open an artery after a vascular procedure therein such as a balloon or other type of angioplasty.

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First Claim