| US 7,553,292 B2 | ||
| Device for treating vulnerable plaque | ||
| Deborah L. Kilpatrick, Los Altos, Calif. (US); Robert D. Ainsworth, Scotts Valley, Calif. (US); Murthy V. Simhambhatla, San Jose, Calif. (US); and Jeong S. Lee, Diamond Bar, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on May 26, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/140,240. | ||
| Application 11/140240 is a division of application No. 10/032322, filed on Dec. 21, 2001, granted, now 6,972,024. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0222584 A1, Oct. 06, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61M 29/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 604—103.01 [606/192] | 5 Claims |
| 1. A device for treating vulnerable plaque, comprising a balloon catheter having a wingless self-limiting balloon with an unexpanded diameter which inflates to a limited, controlled expanded diameter, and the balloon has at least one layer of porous polymeric material with an antithrombotic agent within the pores, and wherein such expanded diameter is selected to intentionally damage such plaque by disrupting a fibrous cap without cap rupture, to thereby strengthen the vulnerable plaque by inducing extracellular matrix protein synthesis. |