DELIVERY AND EXCHANGE CATHETER FOR STORING GUIDEWIRE

• US 20100130938A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Revascular Therapeutics Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Carley, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/164.130
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0023 by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter

Abstract

A support catheter for stowing and exchanging guidewires and other working elements comprises a catheter body having a proximal region and a distal region. A single, contiguous lumen is formed from the proximal region through the distal region and has a larger proximal cross-sectional area than distal cross-sectional area.

Claims

1. A support catheter comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal region, a distal region, and a single contiguous lumen extending through the proximal and distal regions;

wherein a cross-sectional area of the proximal lumen is larger than a cross-sectional of the distal lumen so that two or more devices can be held in the proximal lumen while the distal lumen is large enough to accommodate only one of the devices.

2. A support catheter as in claim 1, wherein at least a first axial ridge is disposed along a wall of the proximal portion of the single contiguous lumen, said ridge being configured to confine the elongate devices within the lumen.

3. A support catheter as in claim 2, wherein at least a second axial ridge is disposed along the wall of the proximal portion of the single contiguous lumen opposite to the first axial ridge.

4. A support catheter as in claim 3, wherein at least three axial ridges are disposed along the wall of the proximal portion of the single contiguous lumen, said three ridges being configured to confine at least three elongate devices within the lumen.

5. A support catheter as in claim 1, wherein the catheter body comprises a continuous extrusion including both the proximal and distal regions.

6. A support catheter as in claim 1, wherein the catheter body comprises at least two separate extrusions which are joined together directly or indirectly.

7. A support catheter as in claim 1, wherein the catheter body comprises a hypotube.

8. A support catheter as in claim 7, wherein the catheter body comprises a hypotube over at least a section of the proximal region and/or the distal region.

9. A support catheter as in claim 1, wherein the catheter body has a length in the range from 100 cm to 180 cm, the proximal region has a length in the range from 75 cm to 175 cm, and the distal region has a length in the range from 5 cm to 25 cm.

10. A support catheter as in claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional area of the proximal region is in the range from 0.2 mm² to 1.6 mm² and the cross-sectional area of the distal region is in the range from 0.1 mm² to 0.8 mm².

11. A support catheter as in claim 1, further comprising one or more radiopaque markers disposed at or near a distal end of the proximal region of the catheter body.

12. A support catheter as in claim 1, further comprising one or more radiopaque markers disposed at or near a distal end of the distal region of the catheter body.

13. A support catheter as in claim 1, further comprising a hub attached to the proximal end of the catheter body.

14. A support catheter as in claim 13, wherein the hub includes only a single connector for receiving multiple working devices.

15. A support catheter as in claim 13, wherein the hub includes at least two connectors for receiving multiple working devices.

16. A support catheter as in claim 13, wherein a proximal end of the contiguous is tapered to align multiple working devices as they enter the lumen through the hub.

17. A method for exchanging devices in a body lumen, said method comprising:

introducing a support catheter to a target location in the body lumen; and

placing first and second elongate devices in a common proximal lumen of the support catheter;

selectively advancing one of the first and second elongate devices at a time through a distal lumen of the support catheter to the target location, wherein a cross-sectional area of the distal lumen is less than that of the proximal lumen.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein the body lumen comprises a blood vessel.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein the target location comprises an occlusion.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the occlusion is substantially total.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the first elongate device comprises a guidewire and the second elongate device comprises a drilling wire.

22. A method as in claim 17, further comprising aligning the first and second elongate devices within the common proximal lumen without separating the devices with a complete barrier.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein aligning comprises providing at least one axial ridge along an inner wall of the proximal lumen region.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein aligning comprises providing at least two axial ridges along the inner wall.