Method of using a guiding introducer for left atrium

• US 5,715,818 A
• Filed: 10/31/1995
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Daig Corporation (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Fleischhacker, John J., Swartz, John Frederick, Hassett, James A., Ockuly, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahr, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US08/551,173
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 128/642, 128/656, 128/657, 128/658, 128/662.06, 128/772, 604/280, 604/282, 607/122, 606/41
• US Class Current: 600/374
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0133 Tip steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0662 Guide tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart

Abstract

A guiding introducer for use in the left atrium comprised of a first, second and third section wherein the first section is a generally elongated straight section wherein merged with the distal end of the first section is a second section which is curved in a compound curve, first curving upward in a first longitudinal curve and simultaneously curving to the right in a second longitudinal curve, wherein the second section merges with the third section wherein said third section is a third longitudinal curve wherein the plane of the third section is angled upward at an angle of approximately 25 to about 60 degrees from the plane of the first section and wherein substantially all of the third section is coplanar.

Claims

1. A method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways associated with a left atrium of a heart comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing into the left atrium of the heart a precurved, guiding introducer, wherein said introducer contains a lumen passing therethrough, a proximal end and a distal end;

(b) introducing into the lumen of the precurved, guiding introducer a catheter for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways within the left side of the heart, wherein said catheter has one or more electrodes located at or near a distal tip of the catheter; and

(c) extending said distal tip of the catheter through the lumen of the guiding introducer and beyond the distal tip of the guiding introducer to allow the electrodes of the catheter to map and ablate one or more anomalous conduction pathways within the left side of the heart.

2. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 1 including ablating anomalous conduction pathways utilizing an energy source chosen from radio frequency, thermal, laser or direct current.

3. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 2 including ablating utilizing radio frequency energy.

4. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 1 including utilizing a guiding introducer comprised of a first, second and third section, wherein the first section is a generally elongated straight section, wherein merged with a distal end of said first section is the second section, wherein the second section is curved, in a compound curve, curving first in a first curve and next curving in a second curve, wherein the second section merges with the third section, wherein the third section is comprised of a third curve.

5. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 1 including utilizing a guiding introducer comprised of a first, second and third sections, wherein the first section is a generally elongated straight section, wherein merged with a distal end of said first section of said introducer is the second section which is a curved section wherein said curved section is curved in a compound curve curving in a first curve with a radius of about 0.5 cm. to about 2.0 cm. to form an arc of approximately 40 degrees to 60 degrees, and simultaneously curving in a second curve containing a radius of from about 0.5 cm. to about 4.0 cm., wherein said second section is less than about 2.0 cm. in overall length, wherein merged with the distal end of the second section is the third section comprised of a third curve with a radius of from about 1.5 cm. to about 4.0 cm., wherein said third section is directed at an angle of approximately 40 degrees to about 60 degrees from the first section and wherein substantially all of said third section is coplanar.

6. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 5 wherein the third curve has an arc of about 35-55 degrees.

7. The method for the mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 5 wherein the third curve has an arc of about 80-100 degrees.

8. The method for the mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 5 wherein the third curve has an arc of about 125-145 degrees.

9. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 1 including utilizing a guiding introducer in a left atrium of the human heart is comprised of a first, second and third section, wherein the first section is a generally elongated straight section, wherein merged with a distal end of said first section is the second section, wherein the second section is curved in a compound curve first curving in a first curve and then curving in a second curve, wherein the distal end of the second section merges with the third section which is a third curve, wherein said third section is angled in an angle of about 25 degrees to about 45 degrees from the first section and wherein substantially all of said third section is coplanar.

10. The method for mapping and ablation of anomalous conduction pathways of claim 1 wherein the guiding introducer to be used in the left atrium of the human heart is comprised of a first, second and third sections wherein, the first section is a generally elongated straight section, wherein merged with distal end of said first section is the second section, wherein the second section is curved in a compound curve first curving in a first curve with a radius of from about 0.5 cm. to about 2.0 cm. for about 40 degrees to about 60 degrees of arc and then curving in a second curve containing a radius of about 0.5 to about 4.0 cm., wherein said second section is less than about 2.0 cm. in overall length, wherein the distal end of the second section merges with the third section, which is a third curve with a radius of from about 1.5 cm. to about 4.0 cm., wherein the third section is angled at an angle of about 25 degrees to about 45 degrees from the first section, and wherein substantially all of said third section is coplanar.

11. The method for mapping and ablation of claim 10 wherein the third curve has an arc of about 170-190 degrees.

12. A method for treatment of Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome associated with a left atrium of a heart comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing into the left atrium of the heart a precurved, guiding introducer, wherein said introducer contains a lumen passing therethrough, a proximal end and a distal tip;

(b) introducing into the lumen of the precurved, guiding introducer a catheter within the left atrium of the heart wherein said catheter has one or more electrodes located at or near a distal tip of the catheter;

(c) extending said distal tip of the catheter through the lumen of the introducer and beyond the distal tip of the introducer to permit the electrodes of the catheter to ablate anomalous conduction pathways within the left atrium of the heart as a treatment for Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome.

13. The method for treatment of Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome of claim 12 including utilizing the guiding introducer comprised of a first, second and third sections, wherein the first section is a generally elongated straight section, wherein merged with a distal end of said first section of said introducer is the second section which is a curved section wherein said curved section is curved in a compound curve curving from the first section in a first curve with a radius of about 0.5 cm. to about 2.0 cm. to form an arc of approximately 40 to about 60 degrees, and curving in a second curve containing a radius of from about 0.5 cm. to about 4.0 cm., wherein said second section is less than about 2.0 cm. in length, wherein merged with the distal end of the second section is the third section, comprised of a third curve with a radius of from about 1.5 cm. to about 4.0 cm., wherein said third section is directed at an angle of approximately 40 degrees to about 60 degrees from the first section and wherein substantially all of said third section is coplanar.