CORONARY VEIN NAVIGATOR

• US 20100114114A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hall, Jeffrey A., Tockman, Bruce, Westlund, Randy
• Application Number:
  US12/685,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114114A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0152 with pre-shaped mechanisms, e.g. pre-shaped stylets or pre-shaped outer tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0585 Coronary sinus electrodes

Abstract

A system and method for navigating coronary vasculature involves use of a guide catheter system which includes a guide catheter, a navigator catheter longitudinally displaceable within the guide catheter, and a deflection arrangement provided at a distal end of the navigator catheter. The guide catheter is advanced to at least a patient'"'"'s coronary sinus ostium, and the navigator catheter is extended from the guide catheter to a location proximate or within an angled vein distal to the coronary sinus ostium. Using the deflection arrangement, a guide wire passing through the navigation catheter is directed into the angled vein. A lead having an open lumen is advanced over the guide wire to direct the lead to an implant site within the angled vein.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method of delivering an implantable lead to an implantation location in a coronary vein of a patient, the method comprising:

inserting a guide catheter system into the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the guide catheter system including a guide catheter having a lumen and a distal end, and a navigator catheter disposed within the lumen of the guide catheter, the navigator catheter including a distal end having a pre-shaped bend;

advancing the guide catheter into the coronary sinus;

extending the distal end of the navigator catheter out the distal end of the guide catheter to a location proximate or within an angled vein distal to the coronary sinus; and

advancing a lead through the guide catheter or the navigator catheter to direct the lead to an implant site within the angled vein.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-shaped bend forms an angle of from about 0 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the pre-shaped bend.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-shaped bend forms an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the pre-shaped bend.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-shaped bend forms an obtuse angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the pre-shaped bend.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising steps, prior to advancing a lead through the guide catheter, of advancing the guide catheter into the angled vein distal to the coronary sinus and then withdrawing the navigator catheter.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein advancing a lead through the guide catheter system comprises advancing the lead through the guide catheter system without using a guide wire to guide the lead.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigator catheter includes a braid providing the navigator catheter with sufficient torque transmission for sub-selecting the angled vein distal to the coronary sinus.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein advancing the lead through the guide catheter or the navigator catheter includes advancing the lead through the navigator catheter to the implant site within the angled vein.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein advancing a lead through the guide catheter system comprises advancing the lead through the guide catheter system without using a guide wire to guide the lead.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the navigator catheter includes a braid providing the navigator catheter with sufficient torque transmission for sub-selecting the angled vein distal to the coronary sinus.

10. A method of delivering an implantable lead to an implantation location in a coronary vein of a patient, the method comprising:

inserting a guide catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature system, the guide catheter system including a guide catheter and a navigator catheter longitudinally displaceable within the guide catheter, the navigator catheter including a pre-formed distal end having a bend;

advancing the guide catheter to a patient'"'"'s coronary sinus ostium;

extending the navigator catheter from the guide catheter to a location proximate an angled vein distal to the coronary sinus ostium;

seating the navigator catheter within the angled vein;

passing the guide catheter over the navigator catheter to advance the guide catheter into the angled vein;

retracting the navigator catheter from the guide catheter; and

advancing a lead through the guide catheter to an implant site within the angled vein.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the bend forms an angle of from about 0 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the bend.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bend forms an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the bend.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the bend forms an obtuse angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the bend.

16. A method of delivering an implantable lead to an implantation location in a coronary vein of a patient, the method comprising:

inserting a guide catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature system, the guide catheter system including a guide catheter and a navigator catheter longitudinally displaceable within the guide catheter, the navigator catheter including a pre-formed distal end having a bend;

advancing the guide catheter to a patient'"'"'s coronary sinus ostium;

extending the navigator catheter from the guide catheter to a location proximate an angled vein distal to the coronary sinus ostium;

locating the angled vein using the bend in the pre-formed distal end of the navigator catheter;

seating the navigator catheter within the angled vein; and

advancing a lead through the navigator catheter to an implant site within the angled vein.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bend forms an angle of from about 0 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the bend.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bend forms an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the bend.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the bend forms an obtuse angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the navigator catheter proximally adjacent to the bend.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising splitting the navigator catheter longitudinally after advancing the lead through the navigator catheter to the implant site.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the navigator catheter includes a longitudinal pre-stress line extending between distal and proximal ends of the navigator catheter, and wherein splitting the navigator catheter includes splitting the navigator catheter along the longitudinal pre-stress line upon retraction of the navigator catheter in a proximal direction.