Methods and devices for percutaneous and surgical interventions

Abstract

Methods and devices for performing percutaneous and surgical interventions. The devices comprising a tubular portion and retractable mechanism at the distal end of the tubular portion. The retractable mechanism prevents the device from pulling out of an anatomical structure during complex interventions, for example, when switching from an antegrade to a retrograde approach within a blood vessel, enables the use of a single sheath when declotting AV hemodialysis fistulas and can provide occlusion of blood flow during interventions and means of removal of debris or clot from the blood vessel.

Description

[0001] The present invention generally relates to methods and devices for performing percutaneous and surgical interventions. More particularly, the present invention provides improved vascular sheaths and guide catheters and methods of use. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Vascular sheaths and guide catheters are used routinely in interventional radiology and interventional cardiology. The sheath serves as a conduit from the skin surface to the artery to allow passages of catheters, guide wires, stents, angioplasty balloons and similar instruments through the subcutaneous track without damaging the surrounding tissues or the blood vessel itself. The sheath is generally composed of four main components. The first is the tubular portion, which is the conduit from the skin surface into the blood vessel. The second portion is a hemostatic valve on the skin surface portion of the sheath. The third component is a sidearm tubing with a stopcock that allows the sheath to be flushed or as...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] The present invention provides improved devices for performing percutaneous and surgical interventions, particularly vascular sheaths and guide catheters, and methods of use thereof. More particularly, the present invention provides a device that may be manipulated within an anatomical structure while eliminating the possibility of the device losing access to the anatomical structure during such manipulation.

[0010] For example, in one embodiment, the device comprises a vascular sheath or a guide catheter that may be inserted and repositioned within a blood vessel while eliminating the possibility of losing vascular access during such manipulation. In one embodiment, the vascular sheath or guide catheter may be repositioned from a retrograde to an antegrade position in a blood vessel, and vice versa, while eliminating the possibility of losing vascular access during such manipulation.

Problems solved by technology

While these current vascular sheaths and methods are generally suitable, they have many drawbacks.

The designs of current vascular sheaths do not adequately maintain the sheaths steadily in the blood vessel.

Further, when using vascular sheaths to perform surgery on carotid artery stenosis, emboli may form during the course of the procedure.

These emboli can flow into the cerebral vasculature, leading to ischemic stroke.

Current sheaths do not adequately prevent the flow of emboli into the cerebral vasculature.

However, during such procedures, it is often discovered that there are a plurality of treatment locations.

For example, in performing an angioplasty procedure on an obstructed vessel, it is not uncommon to find that the vessel is obstructed at more than one location.

This is extremely difficult to do with the current sheath technology.

These sheaths pull out of the vessel when the operator tries to redirect the sheath, and the operator loses vascular access.

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