Magnetic navigation manipulation apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for positioning a guide catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing in a target location of the body, the apparatus comprising:
- a flexible tube having a proximal end and a distal end, and a lumen therebetween; and
a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed on the distal end of the flexible tube, wherein one or more of the magnetically responsive elements are spaced apart from the remaining adjacently positioned magnetically responsive elements located a predetermined distance from the distal end of the flexible tube.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
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.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An apparatus for positioning a guide catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing in a target location of the body, the apparatus comprising:
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a flexible tube having a proximal end and a distal end, and a lumen therebetween; and
a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed on the distal end of the flexible tube, wherein one or more of the magnetically responsive elements are spaced apart from the remaining adjacently positioned magnetically responsive elements located a predetermined distance from the distal end of the flexible tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for positioning a guide catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing in a target area of the body, the apparatus comprising:
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a flexible tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen therebetween; and
a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed around the distal end of the flexible tube, wherein a predetermined number of the magnetically responsive elements are located adjacent each other at a minimum distance from the distal end of the tube, and one or more magnetically responsive elements are proximally spaced from the predetermined number of magnetically responsive elements by one or more predetermined distances. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for positioning a guide catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing in a target area of the body, the apparatus comprising:
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a flexible tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen therebetween;
a predetermined number of the magnetically responsive elements disposed around the tube and located adjacent to each other at a minimum distance from the distal end of the tube; and
one or more magnetically responsive elements proximally spaced from the predetermined number of magnetically responsive elements by one or more predetermined distances, wherein the predetermined distances provide regions of flexibility for enabling the distal end of the apparatus to be deflected a minimum angle when subjected to an externally applied magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for positioning a guide catheter or other thru-lumen catheters and tubing in a target location of the body, the apparatus comprising:
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a flexible element having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one magnetically responsive element disposed on the flexible element spaced from, but adjacent to, the distal end;
a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed on the flexible element, proximal to and spaced a predetermined distance from the at least one magnetically responsive element, each of the plurality of magnetically responsive elements being located closely adjacent to each other. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. In combination with a medical catheter having a lumen therein, a guide apparatus adapted to fit in the lumen of the medical catheter, the guide apparatus comprising:
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a flexible element having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one magnetically responsive element disposed on the flexible element spaced from, but adjacent to, the distal end;
a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed on the flexible element, proximal to and spaced a predetermined distance from the at least one magnetically responsive element, each of the plurality of magnetically responsive elements being located closely adjacent to each other. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A method of navigating a medical catheter having a lumen therein into a vascular branch in a subject'"'"'s body, the method comprising applying a magnetic field to a guide apparatus comprising a flexible element having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one magnetically responsive elements disposed on the flexible element spaced from, but adjacent to, the distal end;
- and a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed on the flexible element, proximal to and spaced a predetermined distance from the at least one magnetically responsive element, each of the plurality of magnetically responsive elements being located closely adjacent to each other, and advancing the guide apparatus into the vascular branch, and
advancing the medical catheter over the guide apparatus and into the branch, which maintaining the externally applied magnetic field.
- and a plurality of magnetically responsive elements disposed on the flexible element, proximal to and spaced a predetermined distance from the at least one magnetically responsive element, each of the plurality of magnetically responsive elements being located closely adjacent to each other, and advancing the guide apparatus into the vascular branch, and
Specification