Patent attributes
A catheter and method of use may include an aortic balloon catheter having an integral expandable/collapsible lumen. The catheter comprises a main catheter body having a either a single or a plurality of lumens extending therethrough, and further includes an expandable/collapsible lumen disposed thereabout and carried by the main catheter body. The expandable/collapsible lumen has a relatively large diameter when inflated with respect to the main catheter body, and is self-inflating by fluid pressure when the fluid flows therethrough. The large inflatable/collapsible lumen is attached at its distal end to the main catheter body and thus is carried therewith into a body vessel, and thus is also supported by the catheter body to avoid kinking. The present invention also achieves technical advantages as a catheter for insertion into any body vessel having a limited diameter and which is susceptible to trauma, such as a urethra.
