Thrombectomy catheter

• US 7,938,820 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Lumen Biomedical, Inc.
• Inventors: Webster, Mark W. L., Galdonik, Jason A., Ogle, Matthew F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US11/206,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20070060908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 604/22, 604/35, 604/48, 604/523, 604/524, 604/525, 604/528, 604/529
• US Class Current: 604/528
• 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 2017/22039 eccentric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0183 Rapid exchange or monorail catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0052 Localized reinforcement, e.g. where only a specific part of the catheter is reinforced, for rapid exchange guidewire port
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0074 Dynamic characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. openable, closable, expandable or deformable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

Thrombectomy catheters are presented that have curved tip portions. A suction lumen extends from at or near the proximal end of the catheter to a suction port at or near the tip portion of the catheter. The curves of the thrombectomy catheter can be selected to place a suction port at or near a vessel wall for the more effective removal of thrombus resulting from directing the suction in the direction of the thrombus. In some embodiments, the tip portion of the catheter can be transitioned from a first configuration for delivery of the catheter into the vessel to a second more curved configuration with a desired design for application of suction. The catheter can be moved in a circumferential and/or lateral direction to cover selected portions of the inner vessel wall. In some embodiments, a partially occlusive structure can be used to reduce and/or redirect flow within the vessel to improve performance of the thrombectomy.

Claims

1. A single lumen thrombectomy catheter comprising

a suction device,

a proximal portion fluidly connected to the suction device,

a tubular shaft attached at its proximal end to the proximal portion,

a tip portion at the distal end of the tubular shaft having a first configuration and a second configuration, which is the natural configuration of the catheter, the second configuration being curved relative to the first configuration, and

an actuation device that can release the tip portion from the first configuration such that the tip portion assumes the second configuration,

wherein the single lumen is a continuous suction lumen extends from the proximal portion to the tip portion of the catheter,

wherein the tip portion comprises a suction port that is a distal opening of the tip portion and the suction port is in fluid communication through the suction lumen with the suction device, and

wherein the actuation device comprises a guide structure with a flexible distal section that is sufficiently flexible so that the tip portion transitions to the second configuration when the guide structure is withdrawn relative to the tubular shaft in a proximal direction to appropriately align the flexible distal section with the tip portion.

2. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the suction device is a syringe.

3. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the tubular shaft has an outer diameter from about 0.26 mm to about 3.0 mm.

4. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the tubular shaft comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyether-amide block co-polymer, nylon (polyamides), polyolefins, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyesters, polyurethanes, polycarbonates, mixtures thereof and copolymers thereof.

5. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the tip portion comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polydimethyl siloxanes, polytetrafluoroethylene and mixtures thereof.

6. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the tip portion comprises one or more radiopaque markers.

7. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 further comprising a guide port to form a rapid exchange segment.

8. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the end of the tip portion tapers to a guide exit port.

9. The thrombectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the distal opening of the tip portion is tapered so the suction port is substantially parallel to the tubular shaft of catheter.