Method and system for holding the position of a guiding member

• US 5,749,370 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Brooks, Dennis L., Chow, Mina W. B., Bayot, Alfredo G., Muller, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINGOOD, PAMELA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/483,478
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 128/657, 128/658, 128/772, 604/95, 604/164, 604/280-283, 606/108
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2029/025 characterised by the guiding element
• 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 25/0662 Guide tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A method and system for maintaining the position of a guiding member, such as a guidewire, within a patient'"'"'s vascular system, particularly within a guiding catheter disposed within the patient'"'"'s vascular system, while an intravascular catheter slidably mounted on the guiding member is withdrawn and a replacement catheter is advanced over the guiding member. One presently preferred embodiment includes a guiding sheath having an inner lumen extending the length thereof with an engaging device slidably disposed with the guiding sheath. The guidewire engaging device is torqued from its proximal end which extends out of the proximal end of the guiding catheter so that the flexible distal end wraps around the guidewire tightly enough to maintain the position of the guidewire while withdrawing or advancing a catheter over the guidewire. The distal portion of the guidewire engaging device is preferably a pseudoelastic NiTi alloy which is in a stable austenite phase at body temperature (37° C.) and which exhibits a stress-induced transformation from the austenite phase to a martensite phase.

Claims

1. A guiding catheter having an elongated shaft with proximal and distal ends, a distal portion shaped to facilitate entry into a patient'"'"'s coronary ostium, a first inner lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end configured to slidably receive a catheter and guidewire and a second inner lumen extending from the proximal end to a discharge port at a location spaced proximally from the distal end and configured to slidably receive an elongated torqueable engaging device which has a flexible distal portion configured to extend out the discharge port and wrap around and rotatively engage a distal portion of a guidewire disposed within the first inner lumen between the distal end of the guiding catheter and the discharge port.

2. A method for retrieving an item from within a patient'"'"'s vasculature, comprising:

a) providing an elongated engaging device with proximal and distal ends and a rotatable engaging means on a distal portion thereof;

b) advancing the elongated engaging device within the patient'"'"'s vasculature until the engaging means is adjacent to a portion of the item for retrieval;

c) operating the rotatable engaging means from the proximal end of the elongated engaging device to rotatively engage the item for retrieval; and

d) withdrawing the engaging device and retrieved item engaged by the rotatable engaging means of the engaging member to remove the retrieved item from the patient'"'"'s vasculature.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the engaging means is a flexible distal portion which is wrapped about the item.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the flexible distal portion of the elongated engaging device is rotated from its proximal end to wrap the flexible distal portion thereof about the item to be retrieved.