Percutaneous catheter and guidewire having filter and medical device deployment capabilities

• US 5,911,734 A
• Filed: 05/08/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Embolx, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsugita, Ross S., Maahs, Tracy D., Jang, Yue-Teh
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US08/852,867
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 606/159, 606/191, 606/195, 606/198, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2212 having a closed distal end, e.g. a loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320716 comprising means for preventing embolism by dislodged material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0108 Both ends closed, i.e. legs gathered at both ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/014 Retrograde blood flow filters, i.e. device inserted against the blood flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0003 having an inflatable pocket filled with fluid, e.g. liquid or gas

Abstract

An apparatus and method for treating stenosed blood vessels is provided, more particularly a percutaneous catheter, including a filter for capturing loose embolic material, used to deliver a stent, preferably within the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, or the carotid arteries. The catheter includes an expandable stent deployed on an inflatable balloon, or alternatively a self-expanding stent. A filter assembly is provided either directly on the catheter, or in a separate sheath or on a guidewire. The filter assembly comprises an expansion frame, having filter mesh attached to it, disposed on a guidewire inserted through the catheter or sheath, or alternatively attached directly on a distal region of the catheter. The expansion frame comprises a structure which is activated from a contracted condition into an enlarged condition in a blood vessel, thereby traversing the vessel with the filter mesh. The expansion frame includes biased struts, a mechanically operated frame, and/or a fluid-operated frame. The catheter is percutaneously introduced into a blood vessel and directed to a target region. The stent is localized across the region, the filter assembly is opened, and the stent is deployed, substantially permanently engaging the walls of the blood vessel, thereby opening the stenosed region and/or containing aortic plaque.

Claims

1. A method of protecting a patient from embolization during a percutaneous procedure on a vessel, comprising the steps of:

providing a guidewire having proximal and distal ends, a proximal region and a distal region, an expandable filter associated with the distal region, and a removable sheath which covers the expandable filter and is slidable over the guidewire;

introducing the distal end of the guidewire into the patient'"'"'s vessel with the sheath covering the expandable filter, and positioning the filter downstream of a region of interest, wherein the sheath and guidewire cross the region of interest;

retracting the sheath, wherein the expandable filter is uncovered;

deploying the expandable filter by manual operation of an actuator against the action of a spring;

advancing over the guidewire a percutaneous instrument to the region of interest, and performing a procedure on a lesion at the region of interest; and

collapsing the expandable filter by releasing the spring,

wherein embolic material is generated and captured before the expandable filter is removed from the patient'"'"'s vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

removing the percutaneous instrument from the vessel;

advancing the sheath into the vessel over the guidewire until the sheath covers the expandable filter; and

removing the guidewire and sheath from the vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the percutaneous instrument is a surgical tool.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the surgical tool is a catheter for stent delivery.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the surgical tool is a balloon catheter for angioplasty.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the surgical tool is a rotoblader.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the surgical tool is a catheter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the catheter is a rapid exchange catheter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the catheter is an over-the-wire catheter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable filter comprises a plurality of struts, each strut having a proximal end in contact with the guidewire and a distal end in contact with the guidewire, and wherein the struts expand to the shape of an eggbeater.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable filter includes a filter mesh.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable filter comprises a plurality of radially biased struts.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable filter comprises a plurality of radially expandable struts which are operable to expand radially outwardly.