WIRE GUIDED THROMBECTOMY DEVICE

• US 20100063488A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fischer, Frank J. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,882,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/245 for removing obstructions in blood vessels or calculi

Abstract

A medical device for removing a thrombus from a blood vessel and a process thereof is presented. The device comprises an outer sheath with a plurality of lumens. A wire guide inserted through one of the lumens is used to place the device proximate to a thrombus. An optical fiber placed through a second lumen uses laser input to ablate the thrombus in the proximal portion of the second lumen near its proximal end. A vacuum coupled to the distal end of the second lumen is used to remove any ablated residual material. The second lumen may be pivoted around the first lumen to reposition the second lumen proximate to an area of the thrombus that has not yet been ablated.

Claims

1. A medical device for the removal of a thrombus from a blood vessel, the device comprising:

a tubular outer sheath having a first lumen and a second lumen with each lumen having a distal portion extending to a distal end and a proximal portion extending from the distal portion to a proximal end;

a wire guide placed into the proximal end of the first lumen for delivery to a patient through the proximal end of the first lumen,

a laser source disposed through the distal end of the second lumen having an optical fiber for ablation of the thrombus into residual material, the optical fiber being positioned within the proximal end of the second lumen and supported along the proximal and distal portions of the second lumen by at least one set of support bars; and

a vacuum port coupled to the distal end of the second lumen for removing any ablated residual material;

wherein the proximal ends of the first and second lumen are positioned proximate to the thrombus.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser induced ablation of the thrombus into residual material occurs within the proximal portion of the second lumen near the proximal end.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the support bars that support the optical fiber are coupled to the inner wall of the second lumen.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the support bars that support the optical fiber are coupled to the outer diameter of the optical fiber.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is disposed approximate to the center of the cross-sectional area of the second lumen.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the set of support bars comprises at least three support bars positioned to interact with the outer surface of the optical fiber at intervals having a spacing to maintain the fiber substantially near a predetermined position within the second lumen.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser source is one selected from the group of thulium, holmium, erbium argon ion, Nd:

YAG, and CO₂ type laser systems.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is comprised of one selected from the group of sapphire and germanium oxide.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the spacing between support bars is defined by an angle (φ

).

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the angle (φ

) is less than about 120 degrees.

11. A method of removing a thrombus from a blood vessel, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing a sheath having a first lumen and a second lumen into a blood vessel;

inserting a wire guide through the first lumen to position the proximal end of the first lumen proximate to a thrombus;

positioning the second lumen proximate to the thrombus;

focusing light input from a laser source into an optical fiber;

generating laser output at the proximal end of the optical fiber;

applying a vacuum to the second lumen through a port positioned near the distal end of the second lumen;

ablating the thrombus into residual material with the laser output within the proximal portion of the second lumen near the proximal end; and

removing the residual material via the applied vacuum.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

pivoting the second lumen around the first lumen to reposition the second lumen proximate to a new portion of the thrombus that has not yet been ablated;

ablating the new portion of the thrombus into new residual material with the laser output; and

removing the new residual material via the applied vacuum;

wherein the steps of pivoting the second lumen, ablating the thrombus, and removing the residual material is repeated until a substantial portion of the thrombus is removed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of applying a vacuum holds the thrombus in position to be ablated by the laser output within the proximal portion of the second lumen near its proximal end.