Apparatus and method for capturing a wire in a blood vessel

• US 6,682,537 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Original Assignee: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Inventors: Clair, Daniel G., Ouriel, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROY DEAN
• Application Number:
  US10/029,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/108, 606/113, 606/127, 606/45-50, 600/585
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8486 provided on at least one of the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical

Abstract

An apparatus (600) for capturing a wire within a lumen of a blood vessel comprises a tube (602) having a proximal end (604) and a distal end (606). The distal end (606) of the tube (602) is adapted for placement within a lumen of a blood vessel. A wire loop (632) extends from the distal end (606) of the tube (602), the wire loop (632) has a substantially cardioidal shape. The apparatus (600) further includes means (614) for constricting the wire loop (632).

Claims

1. An apparatus for capturing a wire within a lumen of a blood vessel, said apparatus comprising:

a tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said tube adapted for placement within the lumen of a blood vessel;

a wire loop extending from said distal end of said tube, said wire loop having a substantially cardioidal shape formed by a first curved portion, a second curved portion, and a cusp portion, said first curved portion and said second curved portion intersecting to form said cusp portion, said cusp portion of said wire loop for collecting and positioning other guide wires present within said blood vessel away from a desired location in said blood vessel; and

means for constricting said wire loop.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wire loop is constricted by withdrawing said wire loop into said distal end of said tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wire loop is connected to a control wire that extends through said tube, said control wire being retracted within said tube to constrict said wire loop.

4. A method of capturing a guide wire within a lumen of a blood vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a snare instrument, said snare instrument including a tube and a snare wire, said tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said snare wire extending within said tube and capable of being extended from said distal end of said tube to form a wire loop having a first curved portion, a second curved portion and a cusp portion;

advancing said snare instrument through said lumen of said blood vessel;

extending said snare wire from said distal end of said tube within said blood vessel so that said snare wire forms said wire loop with said first curved portion, said second curved portion, and said cusp portion;

collecting and positioning other wires present in said blood vessel with said cusp portion of said wire loop;

inserting an end of said guide wire through said wire loop;

constricting said wire loop to capture said end of said guide wire; and

withdrawing said snare instrument with the captured end of said guide wire from said blood vessel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said wire loop has a substantially cardioidal shape.

6. A method of intraluminally transferring a guide wire from a first branch artery of the aorta to a second branch artery of the aorta, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning a guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end in a first branch artery of the aorta, said distal end of said guide wire extending from said first branch artery into said aorta, said proximal end of said guide wire extending through said first branch artery;

advancing a snare instrument through a second branch artery of said aorta to said aorta, said snare instrument including a tube and a snare wire, said tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said snare wire extending within said tube and capable of being extended from said distal end of said tube to form a wire loop having a first curved portion, a second curved portion and a cusp portion;

extending said snare wire from said distal end of said tube within said aorta so that said snare wire forms said wire loop with said first curved portion, said second curved portion, and said cusp portion;

collecting and positioning a portion of at least one other wire present in said blood vessel with said cusp portion of said wire loop away from a junction of said first branch artery and said aorta before inserting said proximal end of said guide wire through said wire loop;

inserting said proximal end of said guide wire through said wire loop;

constricting said wire loop to capture said proximal end of said guide wire; and

withdrawing said snare instrument with the captured proximal end of said guide wire through said second branch artery.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said wire loop has a substantially cardioidal shape.

8. A method of capturing a guide wire within a lumen of a blood vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a snare instrument, said snare instrument including a tube and a snare wire, said tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said snare wire extending within said tube and capable of being extended from said distal end of said tube to form a wire loop having a first curved portion, a second curved portion and a cusp portion;

advancing said snare instrument through said lumen of said blood vessel;

extending said snare wire from said distal end of said tube within said blood vessel so that said snare wire forms said wire loop with said first curved portion, said second curved portion, and said cusp portion;

inserting an end of said guide wire through said wire loop;

constricting said wire loop to capture said end of said guide wire, said wire loop being constricted by retracting said snare wire within said distal end of said tube; and

withdrawing said snare instrument with the captured end of said guide wire from said blood vessel, said guide wire including a flexible joint that facilitates bending of said guide wire when said snare wire is retracted within said distal end of said tube.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said flexible joint comprises a hinge and said wire loop is constricted about said hinge to capture said guide wire.

10. A method of intraluminally transferring a guide wire from a first branch artery of the aorta to a second branch artery of the aorta, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning a guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end in a first branch artery of the aorta, said distal end of said guide wire extending from said first branch artery into said aorta, said proximal end of said guide wire extending through said first branch artery;

advancing a snare instrument through a second branch artery of said aorta to said aorta, said snare instrument including a tube and a snare wire, said tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said snare wire extending within said tube and capable of being extended from said distal end of said tube to form a wire loop having a first curved portion, a second curved portion and a cusp portion;

extending said snare wire from said distal end of said tube within said aorta so that said snare wire forms said wire loop with said first curved portion, said second curved portion, and said cusp portion,

inserting said proximal end of said guide wire through said wire loop;

constricting said wire loop to capture said proximal end of said guide wire, said wire loop being constricted by retracting said snare wire within said distal end of said tube; and

withdrawing said snare instrument with the captured proximal end of said guide wire through said second branch artery, said proximal end of said guide wire including a flexible joint that facilitates bending of said guide wire when said snare wire is retracted within said distal end of said tube.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said flexible joint comprises a hinge and said wire loop is constricted about said hinge to capture said proximal end of said guide wire.