Vascular device visibility

• US 10,265,089 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Epstein, Evan, Brown, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Elizabeth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rwego, Kankindi
• Application Number:
  US15/043,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20170231646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22034 for gripping the obstruction or the tissue part from inside
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/823 Stents, different from stent-grafts, adapted to cover an aneurysm

Abstract

A medical device can include an elongate manipulation member, and a thrombectomy device connected to the elongate manipulation member. The thrombectomy device can have a first configuration and a second configuration, the thrombectomy device being expandable from the first configuration to the second configuration. The thrombectomy device can include an arcuate marker-mounting projection attached to a portion of the thrombectomy device configured to contact a thrombus. A marker can be coupled to, and extending around, the arcuate marker-mounting projection with the marker and the arcuate marker-mounting projection contacting each other at three discrete locations. A method for engaging a thrombus can include advancing a thrombectomy device to a location radially adjacent to a thrombus in a blood vessel. The thrombectomy device can be positioned such that a marker, disposed at a proximal end of a working length of thrombectomy device, is proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus, and can be expanded into the thrombus.

Claims

1. A method for engaging a thrombus, the method comprising:

(a) advancing a thrombectomy device, using an elongate manipulation member, to a location radially adjacent to a thrombus in a blood vessel, the thrombectomy device comprising a working length and a non-working length, the non-working length comprising a mesh portion disposed between and separating the working length and a connection between the thrombectomy device and the elongate manipulation member, the non-working length having a connection marker disposed at the connection, the working length having a proximal end and a distal end with a plurality of proximal markers disposed at the proximal end, a plurality of distal markers, discrete from the proximal markers, disposed at the distal end; and

a plurality of intermediate markers between the plurality of proximal markers and the plurality of distal markers;

(b) positioning the thrombectomy device relative to the thrombus such that all of the proximal markers are proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus and all of the distal markers are distal to or longitudinally aligned with a distal end of the thrombus;

(c), after (b), expanding the thrombectomy device into the thrombus;

(d) determining whether a maximum marker separation of the plurality of intermediate markers is less than a maximum marker separation of either the plurality of proximal markers or plurality of distal markers; and

(e) determining a state of engagement of the working length with the thrombus by observing the proximal, intermediate, and distal plurality of markers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the maximum marker separation of the plurality of intermediate markers is not less than the maximum marker separation of either the plurality of proximal markers or the plurality of distal markers, the method further comprises:

collapsing the thrombectomy device;

repositioning the thrombectomy device relative to the thrombus such that at least one of the plurality of proximal markers is proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus and at least one of the plurality of distal markers is distal to or longitudinally aligned with a distal end of the thrombus; and

re-expanding the thrombectomy device into the thrombus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the proximal markers is located within 5 millimeters of the proximal end of the working length.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the thrombectomy device includes a plurality of cells, and wherein the plurality of proximal markers is located within one cell-length of the proximal end of the working length.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thrombectomy device includes a generally cylindrical structure having overlapping edges in a roll-up configuration, and wherein expanding the thrombectomy device includes unrolling the device.

6. A method for engaging a thrombus, the method comprising:

(a) advancing a thrombectomy device, using an elongate manipulation member, to a location radially adjacent to a thrombus in a blood vessel, the thrombectomy device comprising (i) a working length having a proximal end and a distal end with a plurality of proximal markers disposed at the proximal end, a distal markers at the distal end, a plurality of intermediate markers distal of the plurality of proximal markers, and (ii) a non-working length comprising a mesh portion disposed between and separating the working length and a connection between the thrombectomy device and the elongate manipulation member, the non-working length having a connection marker disposed at the connection;

(b) positioning the thrombectomy device relative to the thrombus such that all of the proximal markers are proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus;

(c), after (b), expanding the thrombectomy device into the thrombus;

(d) determining whether a maximum marker separation of the plurality of intermediate markers is less than a maximum marker separation of the plurality of proximal markers; and

(e) determining a state of engagement of the working length with the thrombus by observing the proximal plurality of markers, the intermediate plurality of markers, and the distal markers.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising imaging the proximal end of the working length distinctly from the connection with the plurality of proximal markers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the thrombectomy device has a body comprising a plurality of struts, and the distal marker and plurality of proximal markers are more radiopaque than the body.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, when the maximum marker separation of the plurality of intermediate markers is not less than the maximum marker separation of the plurality of proximal markers, the method further comprises:

collapsing the thrombectomy device;

repositioning the thrombectomy device relative to the thrombus such that the plurality of proximal markers are proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus; and

re-expanding the thrombectomy device into the thrombus.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the thrombectomy device includes a generally cylindrical structure having overlapping edges in a roll-up configuration, and wherein expanding the thrombectomy device includes unrolling the device.

11. A method for engaging a thrombus, the method comprising:

(a) advancing a thrombectomy device, using an elongate manipulation member, to a location radially adjacent to a thrombus in a blood vessel, the thrombectomy device comprising a working length having a proximal end and a distal end with a proximal marker disposed at the proximal end, and a non-working length comprising a mesh portion disposed between and separating the working length and a connection between the thrombectomy device and the elongate manipulation member, the non-working length having a connection marker disposed at the connection, wherein the thrombectomy device includes a generally cylindrical structure having overlapping edges in a roll-up configuration;

(b) positioning the thrombectomy device relative to the thrombus such that the proximal marker is proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus; and

(c), after (b), expanding the thrombectomy device into the thrombus, wherein expanding the thrombectomy device includes unrolling the device.

12. A method for engaging a thrombus, the method comprising:

(a) advancing a thrombectomy device, using an elongate manipulation member, to a location radially adjacent to a thrombus in a blood vessel, the thrombectomy device comprising a working length and a non-working length, the non-working length comprising a mesh portion disposed between and separating the working length and a connection between the thrombectomy device and the elongate manipulation member, the non-working length having a connection marker disposed at the connection, the working length having a proximal end and a distal end with a proximal marker disposed at the proximal end, and a distal marker, discrete from the proximal marker, disposed at the distal end, wherein the thrombectomy device includes a generally cylindrical structure having overlapping edges in a roll-up configuration;

(b) positioning the thrombectomy device relative to the thrombus such that the proximal marker is proximal to or longitudinally aligned with a proximal end of the thrombus and the distal marker is distal to or longitudinally aligned with a distal end of the thrombus; and

(c), after (b), expanding the thrombectomy device into the thrombus, wherein expanding the thrombectomy device include unrolling the thrombectomy device.