Opening system for improving catheter delivery

• US 10,258,764 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Losordo, Michael, Epstein, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhisma
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ponton, James D
• Application Number:
  US14/447,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20160030709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12031 complete occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12113 within an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12118 for positioning in conjunction with a stent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22042 Details of the tip of the guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/823 Stents, different from stent-grafts, adapted to cover an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0019 Cleaning catheters or the like, e.g. for reuse of the device, for avoiding replacement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0024 Expandable catheters or sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0025 having a collapsible lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0042 Microcatheters, cannula or the like having outside diameters around 1 mm or less
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0059 having means for preventing the catheter, sheath or lumens from collapsing due to outer forces, e.g. compressing forces, or caused by twisting or kinking
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/12 Blood circulatory system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0102 Insertion or introduction using an inner stiffening member, e.g. stylet or push-rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/00 Dilators with or without means for introducing media, e.g. remedies instruments for performing visual medical inspections of cavities or tubes of the body A61B1/00

Abstract

A ball-tipped mandrel, separate or integrated on a device delivery assembly, can be used to ease delivery and/or retrieval of an ancillary device within a body vessel having tortuous anatomy. A ball-tipped mandrel can be moved through a catheter as a part of a preparation procedure prior to insertion into a body vessel of a patient. A ball-tipped mandrel can be moved through a catheter during or after insertion into a body vessel of a patient in preparation for delivery of an ancillary device. A ball-tipped mandrel can be integrated onto the distal portion of a device to produce dilation during device delivery.

Claims

1. A method of reducing forces for delivering a medical device through a catheter, comprising:

advancing an expander distally to a target location within a body vessel of a patient, the expander comprising a control wire and an enlarging member at a distal portion of the control wire, the enlarging member having a larger cross-sectional dimension than the control wire;

after advancing the expander, inserting a catheter over the control wire of the expander and into the body vessel, thereby forming a collapsed section of the catheter that has a non-circular cross-sectional shape; and

after inserting the catheter, moving the enlarging member longitudinally within a lumen of the catheter in a proximal direction, while the catheter is within the body vessel, thereby expanding the collapsed section of the catheter via the enlarging member to have an inner cross-sectional shape that is more circular than the non-circular cross-sectional shape; and

after moving the enlarging member longitudinally within the lumen of the catheter in the proximal direction, delivering a medical device distally through the catheter lumen to the target location within the body vessel of the patient,

wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the enlarging member is between 0.0002″ and

0.002″

smaller than a first inner cross-sectional dimension of the lumen in an unrestrained condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the enlarging member is between 2% and 20% smaller than the first inner cross-sectional dimension of the lumen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the lumen of the catheter at the collapsed section has a second inner cross-sectional dimension less than the first inner cross-sectional dimension.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the moving comprises expanding the collapsed section of the catheter to have a third inner cross-sectional dimension greater than the second inner cross-sectional dimension.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the lumen has a circular cross-sectional shape in the unrestrained condition.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the lumen has a diameter of between about 0.01 inch and about 0.098 inch.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the lumen has a length of at least about 125 cm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving comprises passing the enlarging member from a first location entirely distal to a distal end of the catheter to a second location proximal to a proximal end of the catheter.