Methods and devices for retrieval of a medical agent from a physiological efferent fluid collection site

• US 7,211,073 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catharos Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Catharos Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hassan, Ali, Fitzgerald, Peter J., Courtney, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMED, AAMER S
• Application Number:
  US10/803,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 604/21, 604/35, 604 27- 34, 604240-544, 604/317, 604/902, 604/36, 604/48, 604/93.01, 604/264, 604503-508, 604523-532, 604/540, 604/543, 600/4, 600/462, 600/467, 600/479, 600/309, 600/514, 210/646
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22082 after introduction of a substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4052 efferent nerves, i.e. nerves that relay impulses from the central nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• 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: A61M 1/36 Other treatment of blood in a by-pass of the natural circulatory system, e.g. temperature adaptation, irradiation ; Extra-corporeal blood circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3609 Physical characteristics of the blood, e.g. haematocrit, urea
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3615 Cleaning blood contaminated by local chemotherapy of a body part temporarily isolated from the blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/84 Drainage tubes; Aspiration tips for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/90; for surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1077 having a system for expelling the air out of the balloon before inflation and use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively removing an agent from a physiological efferent fluid collection site are provided. A feature of the invention is that a non-occlusive aspiration device is employed to selectively remove the target agent from the site only when the target agent is present in the site. Also provided are systems and kits for performing the subject methods. The subject invention finds use in a variety of different applications, including the selective removal of both therapeutic and diagnostic agents from a variety of different physiological sites.

Claims

1. A method for removing contrast agent from a physiological efferent fluid collection site of a body, said method comprising:

introducing a non-occlusive aspiration element to a target site at least proximal to said physiological efferent fluid collection site; and

activating said aspiration element when said contrast agent is at least predicted to be present in said target site to selectively remove fluid comprising said contrast agent from said physiological efferent fluid collection site;

wherein said aspiration element does not occlude said target site when activated and said removed fluid is not returned to the body.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said physiological efferent fluid collection site is a vascular fluid collection site.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said vascular fluid collection site is a cardiovascular fluid collection site.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said cardiovascular fluid collection site is a coronary cardiovascular fluid collection site.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said coronary cardiovascular fluid collection site is a coronary sinus.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said physiological efferent fluid collection site is present in a mammal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said mammal is a human.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said non-occlusive aspiration element comprises a detector for at least predicting the presence of said agent in said physiological efferent fluid collection site, wherein said detector is located at an upstream location of said non-occlusive aspiration element.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said detector is located at the vicinity of said target site.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said detector is a fiber-optic detector.

11. A method for removing an agent from a physiological efferent fluid collection site of a body, said method comprising:

introducing a non-occlusive aspiration element to a target site at least proximal to said physiological efferent fluid collection site, wherein said non-occlusive aspiration element comprises a detector for at least predicting the presence of said agent in said physiological efferent fluid collection site and said detector is located at an upstream location of said non-occlusive aspiration element; and

activating said aspiration element when said agent is at least predicted to be present in said target site to selectively remove fluid comprising said agent from said physiological efferent fluid collection site;

wherein said aspiration element does not occlude said target site when activated and said removed fluid is not returned to the body.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said physiological efferent fluid collection site is a vascular fluid collection site.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said vascular fluid collection site is a cardiovascular fluid collection site.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said cardiovascular fluid collection site is a coronary cardiovascular fluid collection site.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said coronary cardiovascular fluid collection site is a coronary sinus.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said physiological efferent fluid collection site is present in a mammal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said mammal is a human.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said agent is a therapeutic agent.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein said agent is a diagnostic agent.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said diagnostic agent is a contrast agent.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein said detector is a fiber-optic detector.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein said detector is located at the vicinity of said target site.