Method of repairing a damaged blood vessel with an expandable cage catheter
First Claim
1. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s artery after an intervential procedure therein which has resulted in a damaged section of the artery lining which can restrict flow, comprising:
- a) advancing a guiding member into a patient'"'"'s vascular system until a distal portion thereof crosses the damaged arterial section;
b) selecting a vascular catheter comprising;
i) an elongated catheter body having a relatively long proximal portion with stiffening means, a relatively short distal portion, a first lumen which extends longitudinally therein over essentially the entire length thereof and a second, much shorter, lumen which extends longitudinally within the distal portion of the catheter body from a proximal side opening therein to an opening in the distal end thereof,ii) an expandable cage secured to the distal end of the catheter body which is formed of a plurality of strands, which has a distal end and a proximal end with openings therein and which has sufficient radial strength in the expanded condition to hold open a damaged arterial sectioniii) a guiding means connected between the openings in the distal and proximal ends to facilitate the passage of a guiding member therethrough, andiv) an elongated control wire disposed within the first lumen with the distal end thereof secured to the distal end of the expandable cage,v) means on the proximal end of the control wire to move the control wire proximally and distally within the first lumen,c) advancing the vascular catheter within the patient'"'"'s vascular system over the guiding member with the guiding member passing through the second inner lumen, through the interior of the expandable cage and out the distal end of the cage until the expandable cage of the catheter is located at the site of the damaged section of the arterial lining;
d) longitudinally moving the control wire within the first lumen in the proximal direction to reduce the axial distance between the ends of the expandable cage and to radially expand the cage with sufficient force to hold open the damaged section of the arterial lining and thereby allow blood to flow through the expanded cage for an extended period;
e) longitudinally moving the control wire within the first lumen in the distal direction to increase the axial distance between the ends of the expandable cage and to radially contract the cage sufficiently to remove the expandable cage from the damaged section of the arterial lining; and
f) withdrawing the vascular catheter from the patient'"'"'s artery.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vascular catheter having an expandable cage mounted on the distal end of a tubular member which is radially expanded and contracted by means of a control wire which is secured to the distal end of the expandable cage. The control wire extends through a first inner lumen within the tubular member which extends along essentially the entire length thereof. A second inner lumen is provided in the distal portion of the tubular member which has a proximal port at least 15 but not more than 60 cm from the distal end of the catheter and a distal port which opens into the interior of the expandable cage. A guidewire or a low-profile steerable catheter is slidably disposed within the second lumen and a tubular member such as a slightly expanded coil through the expandable cage interior to facilitate the rapid exchange of the catheter. The catheter assembly is particularly adapted to hold open a blood vessel after a vascular procedure therein such as an angioplasty.
448 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s artery after an intervential procedure therein which has resulted in a damaged section of the artery lining which can restrict flow, comprising:
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a) advancing a guiding member into a patient'"'"'s vascular system until a distal portion thereof crosses the damaged arterial section; b) selecting a vascular catheter comprising; i) an elongated catheter body having a relatively long proximal portion with stiffening means, a relatively short distal portion, a first lumen which extends longitudinally therein over essentially the entire length thereof and a second, much shorter, lumen which extends longitudinally within the distal portion of the catheter body from a proximal side opening therein to an opening in the distal end thereof, ii) an expandable cage secured to the distal end of the catheter body which is formed of a plurality of strands, which has a distal end and a proximal end with openings therein and which has sufficient radial strength in the expanded condition to hold open a damaged arterial section iii) a guiding means connected between the openings in the distal and proximal ends to facilitate the passage of a guiding member therethrough, and iv) an elongated control wire disposed within the first lumen with the distal end thereof secured to the distal end of the expandable cage, v) means on the proximal end of the control wire to move the control wire proximally and distally within the first lumen, c) advancing the vascular catheter within the patient'"'"'s vascular system over the guiding member with the guiding member passing through the second inner lumen, through the interior of the expandable cage and out the distal end of the cage until the expandable cage of the catheter is located at the site of the damaged section of the arterial lining; d) longitudinally moving the control wire within the first lumen in the proximal direction to reduce the axial distance between the ends of the expandable cage and to radially expand the cage with sufficient force to hold open the damaged section of the arterial lining and thereby allow blood to flow through the expanded cage for an extended period; e) longitudinally moving the control wire within the first lumen in the distal direction to increase the axial distance between the ends of the expandable cage and to radially contract the cage sufficiently to remove the expandable cage from the damaged section of the arterial lining; and f) withdrawing the vascular catheter from the patient'"'"'s artery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification