Apparatus and methods for removing obstructive material from body lumens

• US 10,716,586 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Life Sciences LLC (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Arrow International Incorporated (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krolik, Jeffrey A., Mirzaee, Daryush, Dreher, James H., Domingo, Juan, Watanabe, Gwendolyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Holwerda, Kathleen S
• Application Number:
  US15/831,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20180092653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 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 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3207 Atherectomy devices working by cutting or abrading; Similar devices specially adapted for non-vascular obstructions A61B17/32037 takes precedence; endoscopic cutting instruments A61B17/320016
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00778 Operations on blood vessels A61B2017/22097, A61B2017/320741 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22079 with suction of debris
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2217 single wire changing shape to a gripping configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320064 with tissue or sample retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320775 Morcellators, impeller or propeller like means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0096 being laterally outward extensions or tools, e.g. hooks or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09183 having tools at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0074 Dynamic characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. openable, closable, expandable or deformable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

A method for removing material within a body lumen of a patient is disclosed. The method include introducing a distal end of a tubular member into a body lumen. The tubular member has a guide member extending distally from the distal end. Next, the tubular member is positioned such that the distal end is disposed adjacent material to be removed and a distal tip of the guide member is disposed beyond the material. One or more lumen clearing elements are then deployed from the distal tip of the guide member. Each lumen clearing element includes an expandable structure that expands from a contracted condition within the guide member to an expanded condition when deployed from the distal tip. Then, the deployed one or more lumen clearing elements are retracted along a track of the guide member to engage the material disposed adjacent the distal end of the tubular member and draw the material into a lumen of the tubular member.

Claims

1. A method for removing material within a body lumen of a patient, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a tubular member into the body lumen, the tubular member having a guide member extending distally from the distal end;

positioning the tubular member such that the distal end is disposed adjacent material to be removed and a distal tip of the guide member is disposed beyond the material;

deploying one or more lumen clearing elements from the distal tip of the guide member, each lumen clearing element comprising an expandable structure that expands from a contracted condition within the guide member to an expanded condition when deployed from the distal tip; and

retracting the deployed one or more lumen clearing elements along a track of the guide member to engage the material disposed adjacent the distal end of the tubular member and draw the material into a lumen of the tubular member.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising aspirating the material drawn into the lumen of the tubular member to remove the material from the body lumen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein aspirating the material drawn into the lumen of the tubular member to remove the material from the body lumen comprises applying a vacuum pressure to the lumen of the tubular member to draw the material.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising reciprocating a cutting head axially to macerate material drawn to the distal end of the tubular member to break the material into pieces sufficiently small to be aspirated into the lumen of the tubular member by the vacuum pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, while the deployed one or more lumen clearing elements are retracted, the expandable structure is directed into the tubular member lumen and compressed towards the contracted condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the material engaged by the lumen clearing elements is separated into multiple pieces as the expandable structure is directed into the tubular member lumen and compressed towards the contracted condition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retracting the deployed one or more lumen clearing elements along the track of the guide member comprises retracting the one or more lumen clearing elements through an orifice into the guide member to compress and draw the one or more lumen clearing elements into the guide member.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising redeploying the one or more lumen clearing elements from the distal tip of the guide member after retracting the one or more lumen clearing elements through the orifice into the guide member.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable structure comprises a hoop that extends substantially across the body lumen in the expanded condition when deployed from the distal tip.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the expandable structure further comprises a flexible arm coupled to the hoop, the flexible arm sliding along the track when the deployed one or more lumen clearing elements are retracted along the track.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more lumen clearing elements comprise a plurality of expandable structures spaced apart from one another such that the expandable structures are deployed successively from the distal tip of the guide member.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable structure is aligned axially within the guide member in the contracted condition, and wherein the expandable structure resiliently extends transversely relative to the guide member when deployed in the expanded condition.