Catheter apparatus and methods for treating vasculatures
First Claim
1. A method of operating a catheter apparatus comprising:
- providing a catheter apparatus comprising;
a multi-lumen main catheter shaft;
one or more guidewire lumen shafts extending from a distal end of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft with lumens within the one or more guidewire lumen shafts contiguous with at least one of the multi-lumens of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft;
an expansible support structure coupled to the distal end of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft;
a sheath at least partially surrounding the expansible support structure;
one or more loops each corresponding to one of the one or more guidewire lumens, wherein the one or more loops are coupled to the expansible support structure, and wherein the one or more loops project inward toward an interior of the expansible support structure; and
wherein the one or more guidewire lumen shafts are threaded through the corresponding one or more loops;
inserting the catheter apparatus into a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion;
withdrawing the sheath from the expansible support structure;
advancing a guidewire one or more guidewires through the one or more guidewire lumens and into contact with the chronic total occlusion; and
withdrawing the expansible support structure from the vasculature.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter apparatus may have a flexible shaft, guidewire lumens passing through the shaft, and a positioning device for positioning the guidewires relative to an external lumen. The positioning device may be an expansible scaffold covered with a retractable sheath. The positioning device may also be one or more balloons that are inflated through an inflation port in the shaft. The catheter apparatus may be operated by inserting a guide catheter into a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion, inserting the catheter apparatus into the guide catheter, and advancing the guidewires through the guidewire lumens and into contact with a chronic total occlusion. The positioning device may be activated before and/or between attempts to pass the guidewires through the chronic total occlusion to interrogate various parts of the chronic total occlusion.
-
Citations
45 Claims
-
1. A method of operating a catheter apparatus comprising:
-
providing a catheter apparatus comprising; a multi-lumen main catheter shaft; one or more guidewire lumen shafts extending from a distal end of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft with lumens within the one or more guidewire lumen shafts contiguous with at least one of the multi-lumens of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft; an expansible support structure coupled to the distal end of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft; a sheath at least partially surrounding the expansible support structure; one or more loops each corresponding to one of the one or more guidewire lumens, wherein the one or more loops are coupled to the expansible support structure, and wherein the one or more loops project inward toward an interior of the expansible support structure; and wherein the one or more guidewire lumen shafts are threaded through the corresponding one or more loops; inserting the catheter apparatus into a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion; withdrawing the sheath from the expansible support structure; advancing a guidewire one or more guidewires through the one or more guidewire lumens and into contact with the chronic total occlusion; and withdrawing the expansible support structure from the vasculature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 27, 28)
-
-
10. A method of operating a catheter apparatus comprising:
providing a catheter apparatus comprising; a shaft, one or more guidewire lumens passing longitudinally through the shaft, an expansible distal portion of the shaft, and a retractable sheath surrounding at least a portion of the expansible distal portion of the shaft; inserting a guide catheter into a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion; inserting the catheter apparatus into the guide catheter; retracting the retractable sheath past the expansible distal portion of the shaft; allowing the expansible distal portion of the shaft to expand to position the guidewire lumens relative to the expansible distal portion; advancing a guidewire through the one or more guidewire lumens and into contact with the chronic total occlusion; and withdrawing the expansible distal portion of the shaft from the vasculature. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
14. A method of introducing one or more guidewires to a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion comprising:
-
inserting a catheter apparatus into the vasculature with the chronic total occlusion, wherein said catheter apparatus comprises; a distal end, a proximal end and a central axis; one or more guidewire lumens extending from the distal end of the apparatus, wherein said guidewire lumens are disposed radially from the central axis; and an expansible scaffold structure coupled to distal end of the apparatus; wherein the expansible scaffold surrounds and is coupled to the one or more guidewire lumens; expanding the expansible scaffold support structure to position the guidewire lumens relative to the scaffold structure; advancing one or more guidewires through the one or more guidewire lumens and into contact with the chronic total occlusion; and withdrawing the expansible scaffold from the vasculature. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 34)
-
-
22. A method of introducing one or more guidewires to a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion:
-
inserting a catheter apparatus into the vasculature with the chronic total occlusion, wherein said catheter apparatus comprises a proximal end and a distal end one or more guidewire lumens, and an expansible distal portion, wherein the distal portion surrounds the one or more guidewire lumens; allowing the expansible distal portion to expand, allowing the guidewire lumens to expand with the expansible distal portion into a predetermined position; advancing guidewires through the one or more guidewire lumens and into contact with the chronic total occlusion; and withdrawing the expansible distal portion from the vasculature. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A method of introducing a guidewire to a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion:
-
providing a catheter apparatus comprising; a catheter shaft, an expansible distal portion of the catheter shaft, a guidewire lumen shaft passing longitudinally through the catheter shaft and coupled to the expansible distal portion of the catheter shaft, and a retractable sheath surrounding at least a portion of the expansible distal portion of the shaft; retracting the retractable sheath from the expansible distal portion of the catheter shaft to allow the expansible distal portion of the catheter shaft to expand in order to position the guidewire lumen shaft relative to the expansible distal portion; advancing a guidewire through the guidewire lumen shaft and into the vasculature; and withdrawing the expansible distal portion of the catheter shaft from the vasculature. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
Specification