Delivery catheter with constraining sheath and methods of deploying medical devices into a body lumen

• US 8,545,544 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Gardia Medical Ltd. (Allmed Solutions Ltd.)
• Inventors: Spenser, Benjamin, Neeman, Ronen, Somekh, Gonen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRANSKY, KATRINA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/417,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.12, 623/1.23, 606/198, 606/108, 606/170, 606/194, 606/200, 604/164.05, 604/171, 604/358, 206/363, 206/364, 206/365, 206/440, 206/438, 206/497, 383/207
• US Class Current: 623/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12131 characterised by the type of occluding device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12054 Details concerning the detachment of the occluding device from the introduction device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/037 with a frangible part, e.g. by reduced diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• 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: A61F 2/97 the outer sleeve being splittable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0681 Systems with catheter and outer tubing, e.g. sheath, sleeve or guide tube

Abstract

A delivery catheter includes a constraining sheath coupled to a distal end of the catheter, and a medical device, such as an embolic protection device (EPD) or a stent, constrained by the sheath. A wire may extend proximally from the constraining sheath and be coupled thereto. A proximal pulling force on the wire causes the wire to tear the constraining sheath, thereby releasing the medical device from a constrained configuration to an expanded configuration.

Claims

1. A delivery catheter for delivering a medical device, the delivery catheter comprising:

a constraining sheath having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the delivery catheter and a free distal end, said constraining sheath holding the medical device in a constrained state, the constraining sheath including spaced-apart holes arranged longitudinally from the free distal end of the constraining sheath;

a wire threaded through the holes proximally starting from the free distal end of the sheath, the wire having a first free end section extending proximally therefrom and a second free distal end; and

a said cutting member at the second free distal end of said wire, said cutting member having a cutting edge directed toward said proximal end such that cutting member tears the constraining sheath longitudinally when a pulling force is applied proximally to the first free end section, thereby releasing the medical device from a constrained configuration to an expanded configuration.

2. The delivery catheter of claim 1, wherein the medical device is an embolic protection device (EPD).

3. The delivery catheter of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a stent.

4. The delivery catheter of claim 1, wherein the cutting member comprises an enlarged end portion, such that when the wire is pulled in a proximal direction the enlarged portion forces the sheath to tear longitudinally in a predictable manner along a line substantially aligned with the longitudinally spaced-apart holes.

5. The delivery catheter of claim 1, wherein the cutting member comprises a sickle-shaped element oriented to present a proximally-directed cutting surface relative to the proximal end of the sheath.