Abstract: The catheter comprises a perfusion catheter, a balloon connected by its distal end to a conduit and by its proximal end to an inflating tube, a guide wire inside the conduit, a dilator member in the perfusion catheter around the conduit and with a tapered front portion, and side orifices in the walls of the perfusion catheter and of the conduit before the balloon to allow blood flow. Upon usage, only the guide wire and conduit dragging the deflated balloon are inserted into the stenosis, the balloon is then inflated a short while to break the stenosis and thereafter deflated to permit insertion of the perfusion catheter therein by means of the dilator member; the dilator member and guide wire are then withdrawn and the balloon is re-inflated for supporting the vessel wall.

Abstract: A stent device constructed to reside for a prolonged period in a blood vessel for engagement with the vessel wall while enabling blood flow therethrough. The device includes an elongated stent structure of limited length and sized to wholly reside in the vessel having an inner tubular structural member defining a flow passage and an outer flexible inflatable element constructed to engage the vessel wall at sub-dilation pressure. The passage is sized to fit over a removable transfer element for delivery of the device to a desired site within the vessel. An elongated, flexible inflation-deflation lumen element secured to the inflatable element has an exterior cross-section sufficiently small to permit prolonged residence in the vascular system without substantial adverse effect upon blood flow in the vessel. A method of engaging a vessel wall with the stent device is described.