CATHETER-BASED DEVICES AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC ANATOMICAL LANDMARKS OF THE HUMAN AORTIC VALVE

• US 20140276616A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Syntheon Cardiology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Syntheon Cardiology, LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin W., Deville, Derek Dee, Kline, Korey
• Application Number:
  US14/208,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20140276616A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/510
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4887 Locating particular structures in or on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/487 involving fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/125 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/127 Aorta
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A valve-plane-defining catheter includes a hollow flexible sheath having a distal end and defining a distal opening, a guidewire assembly, and three radiopaque valve-nadir markers. The guidewire assembly has a guidewire slidably disposed in the flexible sheath and having a distal end, three wire arms each having a terminating end and a proximal end offset from the terminating end and attached to the distal end of the guidewire to dispose the three wire arms approximately 120 degrees from one another about a circle defined by the terminating end of the three wire arms. The three radiopaque valve-nadir markers disposed respectively at the terminating end of each of the three wire arms, each of the valve-nadir markers being sized to fit within the distal opening.

Claims

1. A method for defining a valve-plane of an aortic valve, comprising:

guiding a distal end of a valve-plane-defining catheter at least through a portion of the aortic arch towards the aortic valve, the valve-plane-defining catheter having a flexible sheath, a guidewire assembly with a distal portion, and a guidewire;

extending the distal portion of the guidewire assembly out from a distal end of the flexible sheath to expose three radiopaque valve-nadir markers of the distal portion disposed approximately 120 degrees from one another about a circle defined by the valve-nadir markers; and

further extending the distal portion out from the sheath towards the aortic valve until the valve-nadir markers stop advancement by reaching respective ones of the aortic valve leaflet nadirs.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out the guiding and extending steps under fluoroscopy.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the valve-nadir markers at the ends of three respective wire arms each attached at their respective proximal ends to a distal end of the guidewire.

4. A valve-plane-defining catheter, comprising:

a hollow flexible sheath having a distal end and defining a distal opening;

a guidewire assembly having;

a guidewire slidably disposed in the flexible sheath and having a distal end;

three wire arms each having;

a terminating end; and

a proximal end offset from the terminating end and attached to the distal end of the guidewire to dispose the three wire arms approximately 120 degrees from one another about a circle defined by the terminating end of the three wire arms; and

three radiopaque valve-nadir markers disposed respectively at the terminating end of each of the three wire arms, each of the valve-nadir markers being sized to fit within the distal opening.

5. The valve-plane-defining catheter according to claim 4, wherein the proximal end is radially offset from the terminating end.

6. The valve-plane-defining catheter according to claim 4, wherein the proximal end is radially inwardly offset from the terminating end.

7. The valve-plane-defining catheter according to claim 4, wherein the three wire arms each have a different length to position the three valve-nadir markers in line with one another when the three valve-nadir markers are disposed in the distal end of the sheath.