Tissue engaging catheter for a radioactive source wire

• US 5,267,960 A
• Filed: 01/29/1992
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Omnitron International Incorporated
• Inventors: Hayman, Michael, Liprie, Sam F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US07/829,606
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 604/174, 604/175, 604/180, 604/104-106, 606/198
• US Class Current: 604/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0293 Catheter, guide wire or the like with means for holding, centering, anchoring or frictionally engaging the device within an artificial lumen, e.g. tube
• 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 25/0074 Dynamic characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. openable, closable, expandable or deformable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1025 Wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy

Abstract

A device for installing a catheter in a patient'"'"'s body for use in delivery of a radioactive source to and from the site of a tumor so that it may be shrunk. The device includes a catheter and apparatus for implanting the catheter through the tumor site so that the distal end of the catheter extends beyond the site, with the proximal end exposed externally of the body to permit entry and withdrawal of the radioactive source. A selectively deployable anchor at the distal end of the catheter is adapted to penetrate body tissue at the distal end beyond the tumor site when the anchor is deployed. Consequently, the distal end of the catheter will be securely anchored to maintain a substantially constant lineal depth from the proximal end of the catheter to the tumor site. The radioactive source can then be driven through the catheter to the tumor site to irradiate the tumor for a prescribed period, and then withdrawn. The patient remains ambulatory with the catheter in place between fractionated periodic treatments, and yet repetitive radiation treatment consistently at the precise desired location is assured.

Claims

1. A fixable catheter for use in advancing and withdrawing a radioactive source therethrough to and from a site within a patient'"'"'s body for treatment of a tumor at said site, comprising:

hollow tube means having an unobstructed interior passageway between a proximal end and a distal end thereof for allowing passage of an elongate wire having a radioactive source adjacent the top thereof through said passageway,

deployable anchor means selectively fixable to body tissue for self-securing said hollow tube means at a desired location within the patient'"'"'s body in the vicinity of the treatment site, the anchor means including means for penetrating the body tissue, and

coupling means connecting the anchor means to the hollow tube means at said distal end thereof for precise rigid retention of the distal end of the hollow tube means at said desired location against forces acting in a direction to withdraw the hollow tube means when the anchor means is deployed and fixed to tissue thereat, to permit precise positioning of the radioactive source within the passageway of the hollow tube means relative to the treatment site for irradiation of the tumor when conducting a fractionated therapy regimen over a period of time during which the radioactive source is to be repetitively advanced to and withdrawn from the treatment site.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein

the coupling means includes means for selectively releasing the anchor means from its fixation to body tissue to permit withdrawl of the hollow tube means, the anchor means and the coupling means from the treatment site.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein

the coupling means includes means for selectively uncoupling the anchor means from the hollow tube means for removal of the hollow tube means from the patient'"'"'s body.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein

the uncoupling means comprises a threaded fastener at the distal end of the hollow tube means for releasing the hollow tube means to permit withdrawal thereof while leaving the anchor means in its deployed tissue engaging position.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein,

the anchor means includes deployment means for selectively deploying the tissue penetrating means to engage tissue for precise rigid retention of the distal end of the hollow tube means and self-centering thereof in a body duct at the treatment site without obstructing the radioactive source from traversing said passageway to reach the treatment site.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein

the anchor means includes a storage area for retaining the tissue penetrating means in a non-deployed position during implantation of the catheter in the patient'"'"'s body.

7. The invention of claim 1, further including

storage means adjacent the tube means for retaining the anchor means in a compressed position until selectively deployed.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein

the storage means includes second hollow tube means coaxial and substantially coextensive with the first-mentioned hollow tube means and lying outside and spaced from the first-mentioned tube means, the space therebetween forming a retention area for the anchor means.

9. The invention of claim 1, further including:

second hollow tube means coaxial and substantially coextensive with the first-mentioned hollow tube means and slidable over the first-mentioned hollow tube means for selectively forcing disengagement of the anchor means from the tissue when it is desired to withdraw the first-mentioned hollow tube means from the body.

10. The invention of claim 1, wherein

the tissue penetrating means includes at least one spring wire hook held in compression adjacent the tube means during implantation of the catheter in the patient'"'"'s body.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein

the spring wire hook comprises stainless steel.

12. The invention of claim 1, wherein

the distal end of the hollow tube means is closed to prevent penetration of tissue and body fluid into the hollow tube means at the treatment site.

13. A device for catheter installation in a patient'"'"'s body to permit repeated traversal of radioactive source material to and from the site of a malignancy in the patient'"'"'s body for treatment thereof, said device comprising:

a catheter;

means for implanting the catheter through the site of the malignancy with its distal end extending beyond said site and its proximal end exposed outside the patient'"'"'s body for access by the radioactive source material, and

anchor means selectively deployable at the distal end of the catheter for penetration of tissue in the immediate vicinity of said distal end beyond said site and self-retention of the distal end of the catheter securely anchored against forces tending to dislodge it, whereby to maintain a substantially constant lineal depth from the proximal end of the catheter to the site of the malignancy so that the radioactive source material may be repeatedly advanced to and withdrawn from said site with assurance of periodic treatments at the precise desired location.

14. The invention of claim 13, further including

disengagement means for releasing the anchor means to free the distal end of the catheter and permit removal of the catheter from the patient'"'"'s body.

15. The invention of claim 13, wherein

the anchor means includes at least two barbs positioned at opposite sides of the distal end of the catheter for penetration of tissue at opposite sides of a body cavity to substantially center the distal end of the catheter within the body cavity.