Method and apparatus for guiding catheter into ventricular system of human brain
First Claim
1. An apparatus for accurately and reproducibly inserting a catheter through an orifice drilled in a human cranium and guiding said catheter into a ventricle of a human brain, said apparatus comprising,(a) tubular means adapted to receive and guide said catheter therethrough,(b) support means for said tubular means, said support means being adapted to rest unsecured on said human cranium in surrounding spaced relation to said orifice,(c) said support means and said tubular means being related to each other and to said cranium so as to guide said catheter through said orifice and in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary plane defined by a tangent to the cranium of said orifice, independent of the orientation of the orifice,(d) said tubular means adapted to be in guiding engagement with said catheter while the free end of said catheter is inserted into said human brain.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for accurate insertion of a ventricular catheter through the cranial surface into the ventricular system of the human brain. The method includes providing an orifice through the human cranial surface, cutting and coagulating the dural membranes separating the cerebral substances from the interior cranial surface, and inserting a flexible catheter rendered rigid by incorporation of an obdurator in its lumen, or central cavity, through the cranial orifice and the cerebral substances into a ventricle of the brain. The catheter defines its path of entry into the ventricular system through a guide assembly mounted on the exterior of the cranial surface. The guide assembly is disposed to enable the catheter and incorporated obdurator to enter the cranial orifice and cerebral substances and hence the ventricular system at an angle of 90° in relation to an imaginary plane formed by a tangent to the cranial suface at the point of entry through the orifice. The obdurator is removed from the catheter when the catheter and incorporated obdurator have penetrated the ventricular system.
105 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus for accurately and reproducibly inserting a catheter through an orifice drilled in a human cranium and guiding said catheter into a ventricle of a human brain, said apparatus comprising,
(a) tubular means adapted to receive and guide said catheter therethrough, (b) support means for said tubular means, said support means being adapted to rest unsecured on said human cranium in surrounding spaced relation to said orifice, (c) said support means and said tubular means being related to each other and to said cranium so as to guide said catheter through said orifice and in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary plane defined by a tangent to the cranium of said orifice, independent of the orientation of the orifice, (d) said tubular means adapted to be in guiding engagement with said catheter while the free end of said catheter is inserted into said human brain.
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9. A method of inserting a ventricular catheter into a ventricle within a human cranium comprising:
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(a) drilling an orifice in the cranium just anterior to a coronal suture in a midpupillary line of the cranium, (b) guiding the catheter through the orifice by means of a guide assembly in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary plane defined by a tangent to the cranium at the orifice, whereby the catheter accurately penetrates the ventricle on the first insertion, (c) said guide assembly comprising tubular means and support means for said tubular means, said method further comprising placing said support means so as to rest unsecured on said human cranium in surrounding spaced relation to said orifice, and guiding said catheter through said tubular means and into said orifice and said ventricle, said support means and said tubular means being related to each other such that said catheter is guided through said orifice by said tubular means in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary plane defined by a tangent to the cranium of the orifice, independent of said orifice. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification