Light delivery catheter and methods for the use thereof

• US 6,290,668 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenton W. Gregory, Spectranetics Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Providence Health System - Oregon
• Inventors: Porter, Christopher H., Ziebol, Robert, Rydell, Mark Anders, Gregory, Kenton W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidel, Richard K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayes, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/070,634
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 604/21, 604/22, 604/43, 604/507, 604/508, 604/510, 604/518, 604/247, 604/523, 604/528, 604/539, 606/7, 606/15, 606/12, 607/89, 128/898
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/245 for removing obstructions in blood vessels or calculi
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0023 by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/003 characterized by features relating to least one lumen located at the distal part of the catheter, e.g. filters, plugs or valves catheter tips A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0032 characterized by at least one unconventionally shaped lumen, e.g. polygons, ellipsoids, wedges or shapes comprising concave and convex parts

Abstract

This invention provides a light delivery catheter having a proximal shaft with two lumens and a distal shaft connected to the proximal shaft, which distal shaft has only a single lumen. A guidewire and a light guide are received in the first and second lumens resectively, of the proximal shaft, either of which may be extended into the single lumen of the distal shaft, the distal shaft being sufficiently flexible to facilitate movement of the catheter through tortuous paths. A hub is provided having ports through which appropriate fluids may be applied to the lumens. When used to remove a blood clot in a blood vessel of the brain or other part of the body, the guidewire is extended through the single lumen in the distal shaft and is utilized to guide the catheter adjacent the clot, at least one guidewire/light guide exchange being performed to ablate the clot. Alternatively, the catheter may initially be passed through the clot to the distal side thereof and the catheter retracted through the clot as light energy and contrast fluid are applied therethrough.

Claims

1. A light delivery catheter comprising:

a proximal shaft having first and second lumens extending therethrough;

a distal shaft having a single lumen extending therethrough;

a short tapered section interconnecting the proximal and distal shafts;

said first and second lumens being adapted to receive a guidewire and a light guide respectively,

said single lumen being aligned with said first and second lumens to permit either the guidewire in said first lumen or the light guide in said second lumen to extend into said single lumen in the distal shaft; and

a hub at the proximal end of said proximal shaft, said hub having at least three ports, a first port connected to the first lumen through which the guidewire may enter the lumen, a second port connected to the second lumen through which the light guide may enter the second lumen, and a third port connected to one of the first and second lumens through which a fluid may be applied to the lumen to which the third port is connected.

2. A catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third port is connected to apply a fluid to the first lumen and including a fourth port connected to said second lumen through which a contrast fluid may be applied to the lumen.

3. A catheter as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and second ports are hemostatic valves and wherein the third and fourth ports are Leur connectors.

4. A catheter as claimed in claim 3 including a check valve on each of said Leur connectors.

5. A method for removing a blood clot in a patient'"'"'s blood vessel including the steps of:

(a) advance a guidewire and a catheter mounted thereon from an entry point on the patient to and through said clot;

(b) remove the guidewire from at least the distal end of said catheter and advance a light guide to said distal end;

(c) flow a contrast fluid through said catheter and out the distal end thereof;

(d) apply light energy through the light guide; and

(e) slowly pull the catheter back through the clot as the clot is lysed by the laser.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 including the step of utilizing at least one of acoustic feedback from a unique sound produced during lysing of the clot and optical feedback from an image of the clot being lysed to control the rate at which the catheter is pulled back during step (e).

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 including the steps performed after step (e) of

(f) determine if the clot has been sufficiently lysed;

(g) if the clot has not been sufficiently lysed, re-advance the catheter through the clot, advance the light guide to said distal end, and repeat steps (c), (d), and (e).

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein step (g) includes the step performed before said readvance step of replace the light guide at the distal end of said catheter with said guidewire, and wherein said advance step of step (g) includes the step of replace the guidewire with the light guide at said distal end.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said blood vessel is in the patient'"'"'s brain.