Catheter with sealed hydratable hemostatic occlusion element

Abstract

Apparatus for sealing a vascular wall penetration disposed at the end of the tissue tract comprises a shaft, an optional occlusion element, a hydratable hemostatic implant, and a protective sleeve. The apparatus is deployed through the tissue tract with the occlusion element optionally occluding the vascular wall penetration and inhibiting backbleeding therethrough. The hydratable hemostatic implant, which will typically be a biodegradable polymer such as collagen carrying an anti-proliferative agent or coagulation promoter, will then be deployed from the sealing apparatus by retracting the protective sleeve and left in place to enhance closure of the vascular wall penetration with minimum scarring. The hydratable implant will be protected from premature hydration and swelling by a soluble plug covering the implant's distal end prior to sleeve retraction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and protocols for closing arteriotomies and other vascular wall penetrations.[0003]Angiography, angioplasty, atherectomy, and a number of other vascular and cardiovascular procedures are performed intravascularly and require percutaneous access into the patient's vasculature, most often into the arterial vasculature. The most common technique for achieving percutaneous access is called the Seldinger technique, where access to an artery, typically the femoral artery in the groin, is first established using a needle to form a “tract,” i.e., a passage through the tissue overlying the blood vessel. The needle tract is then dilated, and an access sheath is placed into the dilated tract and through a penetration in the vascular wall, such as an arteriotomy to allow the introduction of guidewire...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is an apparatus for sealing a blood vessel wall penetration. It consists of a shaft, a hydratable hemostatic implant, a protective sleeve, and an element or component that inhibits leakage of fluids beneath the protective sleeve. The shaft is introduced through a tissue tract and positioned within the blood vessel lumen. The hemostatic implant is fixed to the shaft to prevent it from being displaced during the procedure. This invention provides a reliable and efficient method for sealing blood vessel wall penetration.

Problems solved by technology

The use of the hemostatic implant together with the temporary hemostasis provided by the occlusion element increases the likelihood that even relatively large vascular penetrations can be successfully closed and usually reduces the time needed to achieve such closure.

Such fully circumscribing implants, however, can have difficulty being released from the shaft after they are exposed and hydrated.

Images