335 results about "Guide catheter" patented technology

Methods for easy, atraumatic access to areas of the vasculature that are otherwise difficult to access, using steerable guide catheters constructed with components that are selected to provide optimal navigability, torque transfer, and push ability for a variety of typical percutaneous access routes. The catheter wall thickness in the deflecting segment of the guide catheter is about 1 French (⅓ mm) or less, and includes a slotted deflection tube, and this construction allows a very tight turning radius which in turn enables guide catheter access to regions of the vasculature that are otherwise inaccessible.

A system and method is provided for treating a mitral valve. The method preferably includes advancing a guide catheter to an ostium of the coronary sinus and advancing a delivery catheter containing a medical implant through the guide catheter and into the coronary sinus. The delivery catheter has an inner member on which the medical implant is held and an outer sheath which is retractable for deploying and releasing the medical implant. In one embodiment, the medical implant has proximal and distal anchors and a bridge containing resorbable material. The inner member may have a flexible sleeve for gripping and holding a portion of the outer sheath, thereby providing a releasable attachment mechanism. In another embodiment, the inner member may include an inflatable balloon having a tapered distal region which extends from the outer sheath for providing an atraumatic tip. The inflatable balloon may also be used to expand the medical implant and to grip the outer sheath.

A medical instrument system includes an elongate flexible instrument body with an optical fiber substantially encapsulated in a wall of the instrument body, the optical fiber including one or more fiber gratings. A detector is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and configured to detect respective light signals reflected by the one or more fiber gratings. A controller is operatively coupled to the detector, and configured to determine a twist of at least a portion of the instrument body based on detected reflected light signals. The instrument may be a guide catheter and may be robotically or manually controlled.

The present invention provides a delivery mechanism for percutaneously routing a stent or graft through the vascular system and procedures for addressing an aneurysm or an otherwise damaged vessel. The delivery system includes an outer tubular guide catheter 20, an inner tubular delivery (pusher) catheter 14 coaxially disposed and slidable relative to the outer guide catheter and an elongated flexible wire or cable 26 that is coaxially insertable through the lumen of the inner tubular catheter and that has a frusto-conical bead affixed at the distal end thereof which is sized to at least partially fit within the lumen of the inner pusher catheter when a proximally directed tension force is applied between the elongated flexible wire or cable 26 with respect to the pusher catheter 14. By inserting a compressed coil spring between a proximal end portion of the pusher catheter 14 and the proximal end portion of the cable 26, the requisite clamping force is maintained to secure the stent or graft to the distal end of the pusher catheter until the compression spring force is removed. With the stent or graft clamped to the distal end of the inner pusher catheter, it can be drawn within the lumen of the outer guide catheter for delivery therewith to the target site.

A guiding catheter for use in coronary angioplasty and other cardiovascular interventions which incorporates a plurality of segment of selected flexural modulus in the shaft of the device. The segments which have a different flexibility than the sections immediately proximal and distal to them, creating zones in the catheter shaft which are either more or less flexible than other zones of the shaft. The flexibility and length of the shaft in a given zone is then matched to its clinical function and role. A mid-shaft zone is significantly softer than a proximal shaft or distal secondary curve to better traverse the aortic arch shape without storing too much energy. A secondary zone section is designed to have maximum stiffness to provide optimum backup support and stability.

Apparatus and a method for treating an irregularity in a wall of a vessel of a patient defined by an irregular or afflicted wall portion with adjacent normal wall portions comprises a catheter having a distal end portion for being guided through the vessel to the site of the irregularity. A balloon associated with said distal end portion of the catheter for selective inflating to contact the walls of the vessel urges a stent carried by the distal end portion of the catheter in a constricted condition for passage through the vessel into an expanded form with the stent spanning the afflicted wall portion and contacting the adjacent wall portions. The catheter is formed with lumens for inflating the balloon, for receiving a guidewire for guiding the catheter through the vessel, and for connecting a port in the catheter proximate the afflicted wall portion to enable delivery of a therapeutic agent into the vessel to contact the stent and the irregular wall portion.

Devices and methods for delivering stents to target vessel regions, including stent delivery through microcatheters to narrow cerebral arteries. One stent delivery device includes a stent having the distal region everted over the distal end of a delivery tube, having the everted stent distal end captured by a distal element of a elongate release member disposed through the delivery tube. The delivery tube can have a distal taper to a small profile distal end. The everted stent distal region can be captured between the release member distal element and the surrounding delivery tube distal region walls. The captured and everted stent can be distally advanced to a target site, followed by manipulating the release member to free the captured stent. Some devices utilize distal advancement of the release member while other devices use proximal retraction of the release member to free the captured stent distal end. Once released, the stent is free to self-expand or be expanded against the surrounding blockage and/or vessel walls. In some methods, a guide catheter or microcatheter is also included and disposed about the everted and captured stent to advance the stent, delivery tube, and release member to a location near the site to be stented. The devices and methods provide stent delivery not requiring an enclosing delivery sheath about the stent. The everted stent can thus have a very small distal profile enabling small diameter vessels to be crossed and treated.

A microwave ablation system configured for use in luminal network is provided. The microwave ablation system includes a microwave energy source. A tool for treating tissue is provided with the microwave ablation system. An extended working channel is configured to provide passage for the tool. A locatable guide catheter is positionable through the extended working channel and configured to navigate the extended working channel adjacent the target tissue. The microwave ablation system includes a navigation system that is configured for guiding the tool, extended working channel or the locatable guide through a luminal network following a predetermined determined pathway to the target tissue. One or more imaging modalities may be utilized for confirming placement of the tool within target tissue.

A method and system for co-registration of angiography data and intra vascular ultrasound (IVUS) data is disclosed. A vessel branch is detected in an angiogram image. A sequence of IVUS images is received from an IVUS transducer while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch. A fluoroscopic image sequence is received while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch. The IVUS transducer and a guiding catheter tip are detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. The IVUS transducer detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence is mapped to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image. Each of the IVUS images is registered to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image based on the mapped location of the IVUS transducer detected in a corresponding frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence.

A medical device and method for the treatment of a sinus opening includes a handle, a guide catheter, a guide wire, a balloon catheter, a guide wire movement mechanism and a balloon catheter movement mechanism. The handle has proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis along the length of the handle. The guide catheter is attached to the distal end of the handle and has a catheter lumen. The guide wire and balloon catheter are both disposed at least partially in the handle and catheter lumen. The guide wire movement mechanism and the balloon catheter movement mechanism are both operatively disposed on the handle. In addition, the guide wire movement mechanism is configured for advancement and retraction of the guide wire through the handle and catheter lumen by user operation of the guide wire movement mechanism. Moreover, the guide wire movement mechanism includes an integrated guide wire locking and rotation mechanism configured for rotation of the guide wire and for securely locking and unlocking the guide wire to the guide wire movement mechanism. Furthermore, the balloon catheter movement mechanism is configured for advancement and retraction of the balloon catheter through the handle and catheter lumen by user operation of the balloon catheter movement mechanism.

The inventive apparatus may be inserted into a guiding catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing to assist in navigating and placing the distal end of the guiding catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing at a target location within a patient, by utilizing an externally applied magnetic field to align a plurality of magnetically responsive elements on the apparatus towards the target location. The guiding catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing is then advanced and guided by the apparatus, which facilitates access of the guiding catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing to the target vessel to save time during the catheter placement procedure. The apparatus in combination with magnetic navigation also provides support to hold the guiding catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing in place to resist back out of the catheter.

Disclosed is a system for delivering self-expanding stents to stenting sites within the body, which minimizes trauma to the affected tissue of the patient yet, at the same time, offers the medical practitioner a robust and simple system for stent placement. These technical effects are achieved by providing a catheter which receives the stent at its proximal end and guides it to the stenting site. The catheter serves as a guide catheter and has a tapered distal tip from which the stent emerges at the site of stenting. A stent pusher can be used which abuts the proximal end of the stent inside the guide catheter. The tapered tip can be molded and can be integral with the catheter shaft or bonded to it. The guide catheter can include a figurated portion towards its distal tip. The system has particular application to stenting the carotid artery.

Systems and methods for delivering implantable devices, catheters, or substances in or near and/or restoring flow through body lumens, such as blood vessel lumens are described. A catheter having a proximal portion of a first diameter and a distal portion of a second diameter (smaller than the first diameter) is advanced into a body lumen. The distal portion of the catheter is caused to expand to a diameter that is larger than the second diameter but no larger than the first diameter. A working device is then advanced out of the distal end of the catheter and used to remove obstructive matter, deliver an implantable device or substance and/or restore flow. The distal portion can be reduced in diameter prior to removal from the body. A stand alone, guide catheter is also disclosed possessing high resistance to kinking even with a very thin wall.

A guiding catheter comprises an outer guide having a guide lumen and an annular balloon mounted to a distal end of the outer guide, and an inner guide movably disposed within the guide lumen of the outer guide, the inner guide comprising a fluted balloon mounted to a distal end of the inner guide. A method involves selectably pressurizing and depressurizing the annular balloon to control occlusion of fluid flow relative to the annular balloon, and selectably pressurizing and depressurizing the fluted balloon independently of pressurizing and depressurizing the annular balloon to permit perfusion of fluid flow relative to the fluted balloon and control anchoring of the fluted balloon within a generally tubular structure.

A guide catheter (30) is described for introduction into a patient's vasculature, to provide a substantially continuous guide lumen (28) within the vasculature to the ascending aorta (34), through which one or more other functional catheters (44) may be introduced and removed during the procedure. The guide catheter includes an aligner (70) at its distal region for aligning the position and/or inclination of the distal region of the guide catheter with respect to the ascending aorta. The aligner includes an embolic protection filter (88). The guide catheter is made of material collapsible/distensible in cross section to adopt a small shape when no catheter is present inside, and to distend to a large shape to accommodate passage of functional catheter therethrough. The cross-section shape collapses/distends by folding/unfolding of material without elastic stretching of the material.

A temporary valve and a filtration device can be added to a delivery catheter or guide catheter to improve hemodynamics and provide embolic protection. Both the valve and filter can mount onto the outer diameter of a delivery or guide catheter, which offers several distinct advantages. First, the inner lumen of the delivery or guide catheter remains unaffected, thereby allowing the standard procedure steps to take place without any changes or interruptions, or with minimal changes or interruptions.