SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INCREASING BLOOD FLOW

• US 20170202603A1
• Filed: 01/15/2017
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TVA Medical, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: TVA Medical, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: GUNTHER, David, COHN, William E., PATE, Thomas D., TETZLAFF, Philip M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,874,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32075 Pullback cutting; combined forward and pullback cutting, e.g. with cutters at both sides of the plaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22097 Valve removal in veins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2475 Venous valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts

Abstract

Described here are devices, systems, and methods for improving blood flow in a vessel. Generally, the method may comprise advancing a catheter into a first vessel proximal to an occlusion in the first vessel and forming a fistula between the first vessel and a second vessel. This may deliver blood flow around an occlusion to ischemic tissues located in the peripheral vasculature.

Claims

1. A method for improving blood flow in a vessel comprising:

advancing a first catheter into a first vessel proximal to an occlusion in the first vessel, wherein the first catheter comprises a fistula-forming element;

advancing a second catheter into a second vessel, wherein the second vessel is adjacent to the first vessel; and

forming a fistula between the first vessel and a second vessel using the fistula-forming element, wherein the fistula allows blood to flow past the occlusion through the second vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fistula-forming element comprises an electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second catheters comprises a magnet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an embolization coil in the second vessel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the embolization coil is located proximal to the occlusion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a valvulotomy in the second vessel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the valvulotomy is performed distal to the fistula.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vessel is an artery and the second vessel is a vein.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing a third catheter comprising a second fistula-forming element into the first vessel distal to the occlusion in the first vessel, advancing a fourth catheter into the second vessel, and forming a second fistula between the first vessel and the second vessel using the second fistula-forming element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second fistula-forming element comprises an electrode.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vessel is the femoral artery.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second vessel is the femoral vein.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vessel contains a stent graft.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying a stent over one or more valves in the second vessel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the stent holds the one or more valves in an open configuration.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the stent is deployed proximal to the occlusion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the stent is deployed proximal to the fistula.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the stent is deployed over the fistula.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a thrombosis at a proximal portion of the stent.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the thrombosis is formed at a predetermined rate.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising deploying a stent in the second vessel, and wherein the stent extends over both the first and second fistulas.