Catheter guiding and positioning method
First Claim
1. A method for aligning a treatment catheter used in treating an arterial blockage in an artery of a patient comprising the steps of:
- providing a guiding catheter having a distal end dimensioned for extension into the artery of the patient, the guiding catheter having a longitudinal lumen extending through the guiding catheter and through its distal extremity, the guiding catheter further comprising means for aligning the distal end within the artery and means for operating the aligning means;
extending the distal end of the guiding catheter into the artery and adjacent to, and short of the arterial blockage;
operating the aligning means to align the distal extremity of the longitudinal lumen with the arterial blockage;
guiding the treatment catheter through the longitudinal lumen and its distal extremity and then to the arterial blockage; and
thereaftertreating the arterial blockage with the treatment catheter.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for guiding and centering a catheter to a treatment site within a passageway in the human body includes a flexible tube having a distal end dimension to pass freely along the passageway, and a proximal end adapted to extend outside the body. The flexible tube is provided with a peripherally expandable zone at the distal end of the tube and a longitudinal lumen through the flexible tube dimension for passing a catheter therethrough. The distal end of the flexible tube is guided to a desired location within the passageway. The peripheral zone at the distal end of the tube is then expanded so that the expandable zone pushes against the inner wall of the passageway to center the distal end of the tube within the passageway. With the tube positioned within the passageway, a catheter is passed through the longitudinal lumen of the flexible tube.
79 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method for aligning a treatment catheter used in treating an arterial blockage in an artery of a patient comprising the steps of:
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providing a guiding catheter having a distal end dimensioned for extension into the artery of the patient, the guiding catheter having a longitudinal lumen extending through the guiding catheter and through its distal extremity, the guiding catheter further comprising means for aligning the distal end within the artery and means for operating the aligning means; extending the distal end of the guiding catheter into the artery and adjacent to, and short of the arterial blockage; operating the aligning means to align the distal extremity of the longitudinal lumen with the arterial blockage; guiding the treatment catheter through the longitudinal lumen and its distal extremity and then to the arterial blockage; and
thereaftertreating the arterial blockage with the treatment catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification