Importance

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Abstract

A cryotherapy method for reducing tissue injury after balloon angioplasty or stent implantation contemplates use of a well insulated, low profile catheter designed to transport a low temperature medium such as gas, fluid or a mixture thereof at a particular temperature over a guide wire to the site of a lesion. The lesion may or may not have undergone previous procedure for balloon angioplasty or stent implantation. The cryo-medium is introduced from a well insulated storage chamber having a small nozzle to which a conduit may be attached to allow conveyance of the fluid to a point of use. A handheld valve is incorporated into the conduit to allow the surgeon to closely control the flow of the cryo-medium to the point of use. The conduit extends downstream of the valve and is fluidly connected to the catheter that is positioned at the point of the lesion in the body. If desired, antibiotics, anticoagulants, antiproliferative agents, gene materials, etc. may also be dispersed along with the cryo-medium intraluminally. Such additional substances may be mixed with the cryo-medium in the storage chamber before introduction into the catheter or concurrently with introduction into the catheter. Several alternative catheter structures are contemplated in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

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First Claim