Importance

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Abstract

The invention relates to a catheter and method for controlling tissue remodeling or proliferation. The catheter includes an outer balloon located on a distal end of the catheter, a first lumen in fluid communication with the outer balloon and fluidly connected to a source of liquid for expanding the outer balloon with liquid to contact the tissue site, and a second lumen fluidly connected to a source of coolant fluid at a proximal end for transporting the coolant fluid to a distal end of the second lumen to cool the liquid in the outer balloon and thereby the tissue site to a cryo-therapeutic temperature. The second lumen includes an orifice configured and dimensioned to allow the coolant fluid to expand as it passes therethrough to reduce coolant fluid temperature. In another embodiment, the outer balloon is coated or expanded with a media. The media is normally in an inactive state in which it has no effect on tissue, and is transformable upon addition of energy to an active state in which the media affects tissue remodeling or proliferation. An activation factor for providing the energy needed to transform the media to the active state is introduced through the inner balloon.

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First Claim