Method for Infusing the Interior of a Blood Vessel

• US 20070135791A1
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Banning Lary, Brett Naglreiter, Charles Slater, Scott Jahrmarkt
• Original Assignee: Banning Lary, Brett Naglreiter, Charles Slater, Scott Jahrmarkt
• Inventors: Slater, Charles, Jahrmarkt, Scott, Lary, Banning, Naglreiter, Brett
• Application Number:
  US11/624,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135791A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0004 having two or more concentrically arranged tubes for forming a concentric catheter system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0008 having visible markings on its surface, i.e. visible to the naked eye, for any purpose, e.g. insertion depth markers, rotational markers or identification of type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0057 Catheters delivering medicament other than through a conventional lumen, e.g. porous walls or hydrogel coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0079 Separate user-activated means, e.g. guidewires, guide tubes, balloon catheters or sheaths, for sealing off an orifice, e.g. a lumen or side holes, of a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09075 having a core without a coil possibly combined with a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0029 characterized by features relating to least one lumen located at the middle part of the catheter, e.g. slots, flaps, valves, cuffs, apertures, notches, grooves or rapid exchange ports catheter shaft surface irregularities A61M2025/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0032 characterized by at least one unconventionally shaped lumen, e.g. polygons, ellipsoids, wedges or shapes comprising concave and convex parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0075 Valve means

Abstract

Methods for infusing the interior of a blood vessel are practiced with a catheter having an infusion lumen, a plurality of elution holes, a movable barrier (preferably an inflatable bladder) between the infusion lumen and the elution holes, an occlusion balloon, and an inflation lumen. The methods include sealing the elution holes with the movable barrier, inserting the catheter into the blood vessel, inflating the occlusion balloon, unsealing the elution holes, injecting the therapeutic agent through the infusion lumen, deflating the occlusion balloon and removing the catheter from the blood vessel. The methods also preferably include testing the occlusion balloon and priming the infusion lumen prior to sealing the infusion ports and inserting the catheter into the blood vessel.

Claims

1. A method of introducing a therapeutic agent into a blood vessel using a catheter having a blood vessel occluder and a plurality of sealable elution holes, said method comprising:

sealing the elution holes;

delivering the catheter into the blood vessel;

activating the occluder to occlude the blood vessel;

unsealing the elution holes;

injecting the therapeutic agent into the catheter and out of the elution holes into the blood vessel;

deactivating the occluder; and

removing the catheter from the blood vessel.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to sealing the elution holes, priming the catheter with the therapeutic agent.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to delivering the catheter into the blood vessel, testing the occluder by activating and deactivating it.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of sealing the elution holes includes inflating a bladder tube.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said step of unsealing the elution holes includes deflating the bladder tube.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of activating the occluder includes inflating a balloon.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

said step of deactivating the occluder includes deflating the balloon.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said step of delivering the catheter into the blood vessel, inserting a sheath introducer into the blood vessel, wherein

said step of delivering the catheter into the blood vessel includes delivering the catheter through the sheath introducer.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

after said step of removing the catheter from the blood vessel, removing the sheath introducer from the blood vessel.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the catheter includes a proximal marking and said step of delivering the catheter into the blood vessel includes inserting the catheter into the blood vessel until the proximal marking cannot be seen.

11. A method for treating an incompetent blood vessel with a sclerosant foam using a catheter having a blood vessel occluder and a plurality of sealable elution holes, said method comprising:

sealing the elution holes;

delivering the catheter into the blood vessel;

activating the occluder to occlude the blood vessel;

unsealing the elution holes;

injecting the sclerosant foam into the catheter and out of the elution holes into the blood vessel;

deactivating the occluder; and

removing the catheter from the blood vessel.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

prior to sealing the elution holes, evaluating the blood vessel to be treated and selecting a catheter of appropriate length and occluder of appropriate size.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

prior to injecting the scierosant foam into the catheter and out of the elution holes into the blood vessel, calculating the volume of sclerosant foam to be injected based on the volume of the blood vessel being treated.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

prior to delivering the catheter into the blood vessel, accessing the blood vessel with a 7 French introducer.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

after injecting the sclerosant foam, waiting at least four minutes before deactivating the occluder.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

after removing the catheter, applying pressure to treated blood vessel.