A tube that can be inserted into a blood vessel or other body part and then inflated, e.g. to widen a narrow artery.
A thin, hollow tube with an inflatable balloon at its tip. A balloon catheter is used to compress the deposits, widen the artery, and restore normal blood flow when an artery is narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits. It is also used to open narrowed heart valves in the procedure known as valvuloplasty.
A multi-lumened catheter surrounded by a balloon. The balloon may be expanded by injecting air, saline, or contrast medium.
A balloon catheter is a flexible tube equipped with a balloon at its tip, which serves the purpose of either keeping the tube in place or applying pressure to an organ or vessel. One particular type of balloon catheter is utilized for draining urine from the bladder. In medical procedures, balloon catheters are sometimes employed to widen narrowed arteries through a process called balloon angioplasty. Furthermore, they can be used to manage bleeding from dilated veins in the lower part of the esophagus, known as esophageal varices, prior to surgical intervention.