Steerable catheters and methods for using them
First Claim
1. An apparatus for treating a condition within a patient'"'"'s heart, comprising a flexible tubular member comprising a proximal end, a distal end having a size and length for introduction into a chamber of a heart from an access location;
- a substantially transparent expandable member carried by the distal end of the tubular member, the expandable member being expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition, the expandable member being sufficiently conformable such that, in the expanded condition, the expandable member is directable against a tissue structure, thereby substantially displacing fluid between the expandable member and the tissue structure;
an optical imaging assembly carried by the distal end of the tubular member and at least partially surrounded by the expandable member, the optical imaging assembly for imaging the tissue structure beyond the distal end through the expandable member; and
one or more needles deployable substantially axially from the tubular member through a lumen in the expandable member for penetrating the tissue structure to treat tissue.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for treating tissue includes a flexible catheter including a proximal end, a distal end for introduction into a chamber of a heart, a transparent balloon carried by the distal end, an optical imaging assembly carried by the distal end for imaging tissue structures beyond the distal end through the balloon, and a needle deployable from the tubular member for penetrating the tissue structure to treat tissue. The apparatus may include a source of stems cells or other therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent coupled to the needle, a guide catheter advanceable over the needle for accessing a region beyond the tissue structure penetrated by the needle, and/or an energy probe deployable from the catheter for delivering electrical energy to tissue in the region beyond the tissue structure. The apparatus may be used to deliver stem cells into infracted tissue or for ablating heart tissue, e.g., from a trans-septal approach.
307 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treating a condition within a patient'"'"'s heart, comprising
a flexible tubular member comprising a proximal end, a distal end having a size and length for introduction into a chamber of a heart from an access location; -
a substantially transparent expandable member carried by the distal end of the tubular member, the expandable member being expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition, the expandable member being sufficiently conformable such that, in the expanded condition, the expandable member is directable against a tissue structure, thereby substantially displacing fluid between the expandable member and the tissue structure;
an optical imaging assembly carried by the distal end of the tubular member and at least partially surrounded by the expandable member, the optical imaging assembly for imaging the tissue structure beyond the distal end through the expandable member; and
one or more needles deployable substantially axially from the tubular member through a lumen in the expandable member for penetrating the tissue structure to treat tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for delivering one or more therapeutic agents into tissue, comprising:
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advancing a distal end of a tubular member through a body lumen into a body cavity;
expanding an expandable member on the distal end of the tubular member within the body cavity;
advancing the expanded expandable member against a wall of the body cavity;
imaging through the expandable member to observe tissue comprising a wall of the body cavity beyond the expandable member;
manipulating the tubular member to move the expandable member relative to the wall to identify a desired tissue structure; and
injecting one or more therapeutic agents from the tubular member into the desired tissue structure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for treating tissue within a body lumen, comprising:
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advancing a tubular member from a body lumen into a first body cavity;
expanding an expandable member on the distal end of the tubular member within the first body cavity;
advancing the expanded expandable member against a wall of the body cavity;
imaging through the expandable member to observe tissue comprising a wall of the body cavity beyond the expandable member;
manipulating the tubular member to move the expandable member relative to the wall to identify a desired tissue structure;
creating a puncture through the desired tissue structure into a second body cavity; and
performing a procedure within the second body cavity via the puncture. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification