Spray catheter

• US 6,319,248 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic CryoCath LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: CryoCath Technologies Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Nahon, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kennedy, Sharon
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, CATHERINE SERKE
• Application Number:
  US09/124,611
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 604/113, 604/114, 604/264, 604/523, 604/22, 604/23, 604/20-21, 604/93.01, 607/96, 606/20-23, 606/25-26
• US Class Current: 606/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/0218 with open-end cryogenic probe, e.g. for spraying fluid directly on tissue or via a tissue-contacting porous tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0212 using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter

Abstract

A spray catheter includes a flexible member having a spray tip and a fluid path through the flexible member to the spray tip. The catheter can be deformable and may include a mechanism for varying the spray geometry of the spray tip.

Claims

1. A spray catheter comprising:

an elongate flexible member having a proximal and a distal end;

a spray tip formed at the distal end of the elongate flexible member, the spray tip having a centerpoint and a single opening, the opening being offset from the centerpoint of the spray tip; and

a coolant fluid path through the elongate flexible member to the spray tip, wherein a coolant is flowed through the fluid path and expelled from the opening to provide a spray pattern offset from the centerpoint of the single opening.

2. The spray catheter of claim 1, wherein the opening has a diameter in the range of 0.01 to 0.25 mm.

3. The spray catheter of claim 1, wherein the flexible member includes an internal lumen in communication with the spray tip.

4. The spray catheter of claim 1, wherein the elongate member is deformable.

5. The spray catheter of claim 1, wherein the coolant is a biocompatible gas.

6. The spray catheter of claim 5, wherein the coolant is selected from the group consisting of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, helium, argon and neon.

7. A spray catheter, comprising:

an elongate flexible member having a proximal and a distal end;

a spray tip formed at the distal end of the elongate flexible member, the spray tip having an opening;

a first lumen disposed within the flexible member and in fluid communication with the opening to form a coolant fluid path,

a second lumen disposed within the flexible member; and

a biopsy channel formed at the distal end of the elongate flexible member and in communication with the second lumen of the flexible member,

wherein a biopsy can be performed simultaneously with a cryo-treatment procedure.

8. A spray catheter, comprising:

an elongate flexible member having a proximal and a distal end;

a spray tip formed at the distal end of the elongate flexible;

a coolant fluid path through the elongate flexible member to the spray tip, wherein coolant is expelled from the spray tip; and

means for varying a spray geometry of the spray tip,

wherein the means for varying spray geometry includes a plurality of overlapping fan-like members.

9. The spray catheter of claim 8, wherein the means includes a plurality of selectively adjustable fan-like members.

10. A spray catheter, comprising:

an elongate flexible member having a proximal and a distal end and a plurality of lumens disposed within the flexible member, each of the plurality of lumens defining a separate coolant flow path from the proximal end of the flexible member to the distal end of the flexible member,

a spray tip formed at the distal end of the elongate flexible member, the spray tip having a plurality of openings wherein each of the plurality of openings is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of lumens such that each of the openings forms a separate fluid outlet; and

further comprising a coolant, wherein the coolant is passed through the coolant flow paths to control a cooling effect at the spray tip, wherein the coolant is a gas.

11. The spray catheter of claim 10, further comprising a biocompatible gas coolant.

12. The spray catheter of claim 10, wherein the coolant is selected from the group consisting of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, helium, argon and neon.

13. The spray catheter of claim 10, wherein the coolant is selected from the group consisting of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, helium, argon and neon.

14. The spray catheter of claim 10, further comprising means for varying a spray geometry of the spray tip.