Angioplasty apparatus facilitating rapid exchange and method
First Claim
1. An elongated ultrasound imaging catheter which is adapted to be inserted over a guidewire through a patient'"'"'s blood vessel to perform diagnostic procedures therein, comprising:
- a) an elongated catheter body having an inner lumen extending therethrough, a proximal portion which is adapted to extend out of the patient, and a distal portion which is adapted to be disposed entirely within the patient'"'"'s vascular system during diagnostic procedures and which has a transition region with a proximal port therein opening to the exterior of the catheter and located at least 10 centimeters proximally from a distal port in the distal tip of the catheter body and a substantial distance distally from the proximal portion of the catheter body which extends out of the patient;
b) an ultrasound imaging device at the distal portion of the catheter body which is distal to the proximal port; and
c) an open ended tubular member fixed with respect to the catheter body and having an inner lumen which is substantially shorter than the catheter body, which is disposed substantially in its entirety within the distal portion of the catheter body and which extends proximally within the catheter body from the distal port at the distal tip of the catheter body to the proximal port in the transition region, said inner lumen of the tubular member adapted to slidably receive a guidewire therein so that a distal portion of the guidewire extends distally out of the distal port and a proximal portion thereof extends proximally out of the proximal port to the exterior of the catheter body and generally parallel and exteriorly to the catheter body over most of the length of the guidewire and out of the patient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for introduction into the vessel of a patient comprising a guiding catheter adapted to be inserted into the vessel of the patient and a device adapted to be inserted into the guiding catheter. The device includes a flexible elongate member and a sleeve carried by the flexible elongate member near the distal extremity thereof and extending from a region near the distal extremity to a region spaced from the distal extremity of the flexible elongate element. The device also includes a guide wire adapted to extend through the sleeve so that the guide wire extends rearwardly of the sleeve extending alongside of and exteriorally of the flexible elongate element into a region near the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate element.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. An elongated ultrasound imaging catheter which is adapted to be inserted over a guidewire through a patient'"'"'s blood vessel to perform diagnostic procedures therein, comprising:
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a) an elongated catheter body having an inner lumen extending therethrough, a proximal portion which is adapted to extend out of the patient, and a distal portion which is adapted to be disposed entirely within the patient'"'"'s vascular system during diagnostic procedures and which has a transition region with a proximal port therein opening to the exterior of the catheter and located at least 10 centimeters proximally from a distal port in the distal tip of the catheter body and a substantial distance distally from the proximal portion of the catheter body which extends out of the patient; b) an ultrasound imaging device at the distal portion of the catheter body which is distal to the proximal port; and c) an open ended tubular member fixed with respect to the catheter body and having an inner lumen which is substantially shorter than the catheter body, which is disposed substantially in its entirety within the distal portion of the catheter body and which extends proximally within the catheter body from the distal port at the distal tip of the catheter body to the proximal port in the transition region, said inner lumen of the tubular member adapted to slidably receive a guidewire therein so that a distal portion of the guidewire extends distally out of the distal port and a proximal portion thereof extends proximally out of the proximal port to the exterior of the catheter body and generally parallel and exteriorly to the catheter body over most of the length of the guidewire and out of the patient.
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2. An elongated catheter assembly for performing an ultrasound imaging procedure within a patient'"'"'s arterial system, which assembly includes a guiding catheter adapted to be positioned within a patient'"'"'s arterial system with the proximal end thereof extending out of the patient during the procedure, an ultrasound imaging catheter adapted to be positioned within the inner lumen of the guiding catheter with the proximal end thereof extending out of the proximal end of the guiding catheter during the procedure and a guidewire adapted to be positioned within an inner lumen of the ultrasound imaging catheter during the procedure, comprising:
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a) an elongated catheter body having a lumen which extends therein, a proximal portion which is adapted to extend out of the proximal end of the guiding catheter during an ultrasound imaging procedure, and a distal portion which is adapted to extend partially out of the distal end of the guiding catheter into the patient'"'"'s artery during an ultrasound imaging procedure and which has a distal port in the distal end thereof, a transition region in the distal portion which is adapted to remain within the inner lumen of the guiding catheter during an ultrasound imaging procedure and which has a proximal port therein disposed a substantial distance distally from the proximal portion which extends out the proximal end of the guiding catheter, and at least 10 centimeters proximally from the distal port; b) a relatively short tubular member fixed with respect to the distal portion of the catheter body having an inner lumen which is adapted to slidably receive the guidewire therein and which extends through the interior of the distal portion of the catheter body between the proximal port and the distal port, with a distal portion of the guidewire extending out the distal port and a proximal portion of the guidewire extending out of the proximal port and generally parallel and exteriorly to the catheter body within the inner lumen of the guiding catheter; and c) an ultrasound imaging device located at the distal portion of the catheter body distal to the proximal port.
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3. A catheter assembly for performing an intravascular procedure in a human patient, wherein the assembly is adapted to be disposed during the procedure within an inner lumen of an elongated guiding catheter which has a distal end inserted into an ostium of the patient'"'"'s coronary artery and a proximal end extending out of the patient, said assembly comprising:
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a) an elongated catheter which is adapted to extend out of the distal end and the proximal end of the guiding catheter during the intravascular procedure, said catheter comprising an elongated catheter body, the catheter body having a first, relatively long inner lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter body, and a second inner lumen, much shorter than the first inner lumen, which is defined at least in part by a tubular member fixed with respect to the catheter body and extends through the interior of the first inner lumen between a distal port at the distal end of the catheter body and a proximal port disposed at least 10 centimeters proximally from the distal port and a substantial distance distally from the portion of the catheter which extends out of the proximal end of the guiding catheter so that the proximal port is adapted to remain within the guiding catheter during the intravascular procedure; and b) an elongated guidewire which is disposed within the second inner lumen of the catheter body and which has a distal portion adapted to extend out of the distal port and a proximal portion adapted to extend out of the proximal port, generally parallel and exteriorly to the portion of the catheter body disposed within the guiding catheter and out the proximal end of the guiding catheter, and wherein said elongated catheter is an ultrasound imaging catheter.
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4. A method of exchanging a catheter in an intravascular procedure within a patient'"'"'s coronary artery wherein a guiding catheter having proximal and distal ends and having an inner lumen extending therein is disposed within a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system with the distal end seated within an ostium of the patient'"'"'s coronary artery and a proximal end extending out of the patient, wherein a guidewire is disposed within the guiding catheter with the distal end of the guidewire extending out the distal end of the guiding catheter into the coronary artery of the patient and the proximal end of the guidewire extending out the proximal end of the guiding catheter which extends out of the patient and wherein a first intravascular catheter with proximal and distal ends having an elongated catheter body, a first elongated inner lumen, and a second much shorter inner lumen having a distal port located in the distal end of the catheter and a proximal port located at least about 10 centimeters from the distal end of the catheter and a substantial distance from the proximal end of the catheter is disposed within the guiding catheter with the guidewire passing through the second inner lumen, the method comprising:
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a) withdrawing the first intravascular catheter disposed within the guiding catheter from the patient over the guidewire and removing the catheter from the proximal end of the guidewire; b) providing a second intravascular catheter with proximal and distal ends having an elongated catheter body, a first elongated inner lumen extending within the catheter body and a second much shorter inner lumen which extends through a distal portion of the catheter body, which has a distal port located in the distal end of the catheter and a proximal port located at least about 10 centimeters from the distal end of the catheter and a substantial distance from the proximal end of the second catheter; c) directing the proximal end of the guidewire proximally through the distal port, through the second inner lumen and out the proximal port of the second catheter; and d) advancing the second catheter over the guidewire into and within the patient'"'"'s vascular system until the distal end of the catheter is disposed within a desired region within the patient'"'"'s vascular system with the proximal port remaining disposed within the guiding catheter, and wherein the second catheter is an ultrasound imaging catheter.
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Specification