Catheter and endoscope system with distal protruding ball tip and method
First Claim
1. A method of viewing an interior passage of a patient using an endoscope and a catheter which includes a catheter body having a distal end and a lumen opening at the distal end and a displacing member, said method comprising:
- advancing the catheter into the passage in the patient with the displacing member extending beyond the distal end of the catheter body when the catheter body is at a region of the passage;
providing the endoscope in the lumen of the catheter body with the endoscope being movable longitudinally relative to the catheter body;
relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and material within or forming the passage within a zone of the interior passage utilizing the displacing member; and
viewing at least a portion of said zone of the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the catheter body and said material are relatively displaced.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of viewing an interior passage of a patient using an endoscope and a catheter which includes a catheter body having a distal end and a lumen opening at the distal end and a displacing member. The method comprises advancing the catheter into the passage in the patient with the displacing member extending beyond the distal end of the catheter body when the catheter body is at a region of the passage. The endoscope is provided in the lumen of the catheter with the endoscope being movable longitudinally relative to the catheter and being at a location for viewing the interior passage. The method includes relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and material within or forming the passage within a zone of the interior passage utilizing the displacing member and viewing at least a portion of such zone of the interior passage utilizing the endoscope.
134 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A method of viewing an interior passage of a patient using an endoscope and a catheter which includes a catheter body having a distal end and a lumen opening at the distal end and a displacing member, said method comprising:
-
advancing the catheter into the passage in the patient with the displacing member extending beyond the distal end of the catheter body when the catheter body is at a region of the passage; providing the endoscope in the lumen of the catheter body with the endoscope being movable longitudinally relative to the catheter body; relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and material within or forming the passage within a zone of the interior passage utilizing the displacing member; and viewing at least a portion of said zone of the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the catheter body and said material are relatively displaced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 40)
-
-
18. A method of viewing an interior passage of a patient using a catheter which includes a catheter body having a distal end and a lumen opening at the distal end and an elongated displacing member movable longitudinally relative to the catheter body and having a rounded enlargement, said method comprising:
-
placing the catheter body and displacing member into the interior passage in the patient; advancing the catheter body with the enlargement relatively close to the distal end of the catheter body to aid the advancing movement of the catheter body in the interior passage; relatively moving the displacing member and the catheter body to move the enlargement farther distally of the distal end of the catheter body following at least a portion of the step of advancing the catheter body; providing an endoscope in the lumen of the catheter body; relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and material within or forming the passage within a zone of the interior passage utilizing the displacing member; and viewing at least a portion of said zone of the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the catheter body and said material are relatively displaced. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. A method of viewing an interior passage of a patient using an endoscope and a catheter which includes a catheter body having a distal end and a lumen opening at the distal end and a displacing member, said method comprising:
-
advancing the catheter into the passage in the patient with the displacing member extending beyond the distal end of the catheter body when the catheter body is at a region of the passage; providing the endoscope along the catheter body with the endoscope being movable longitudinally relative to the catheter body; relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and material within or forming the passage within a zone of the interior passage utilizing the displacing member; and viewing at least a portion of said zone of the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the catheter body and said material are relatively displaced. - View Dependent Claims (22, 41)
-
-
23. A method of viewing an interior passage of a patient using an endoscope and a catheter which includes a catheter body having a distal end and a lumen opening at the distal end and an elongated resilient member, said method comprising:
-
advancing the catheter into the passage in the patient with the resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the catheter body when the catheter body is at a region of the passage; providing the endoscope along the catheter body with the endoscope being movable longitudinally relative to the catheter body; relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and material within or forming the passage within a zone of the interior passage utilizing the resilient member; and viewing at least a portion of said zone of the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the catheter body and said material are relatively displaced.
-
-
24. An apparatus for viewing an interior passage of a patient comprising:
-
a catheter including an elongated catheter body adapted to be received in the interior passage and a displacing member, said catheter body having a distal end and a lumen extending to the distal end, said displacing member being carried by the catheter body and extending longitudinally beyond the distal end of the catheter body; an endoscope positionable within the lumen of the catheter body, said endoscope being movable longitudinally within the lumen relative to the catheter body to a location for viewing a zone of the interior passage when the catheter body is within the interior passage; and said displacing member being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the catheter body and such material to facilitate viewing of said zone with the endoscope. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42)
-
Specification