Diagnostic catheters, guide catheters, visualization devices and chord manipulation devices, and related kits and methods

• US 9,173,646 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ancora Heart, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Fabro, Mariel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall, Deanna K
• Application Number:
  US13/619,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20130023758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 604/532, 604/523, 604/528
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00078 with stiffening means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3137 for examination of the interior of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7208 Flexible pins, e.g. ENDER pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/485 involving fluorescence X-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/127 Aorta
• 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 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence

Abstract

Described herein are devices, methods and kits for assessing and/or enhancing the accessibility of a subvalvular space of a heart, accessing the subvalvular space of the heart (e.g., to provide access for one or more other devices), and/or positioning one or more devices in the subvalvular space of the heart. The devices described herein may, for example, comprise catheters that may be used to manipulate one or more chordae tendineae, diagnostic catheters having different sizes and/or shapes (e.g., different curvatures), guide catheters having different sizes and/or shapes (e.g., different curvatures), and visualization catheters. In some variations, the devices, methods, and/or kits may be used to visualize a target site, such as a subannular groove of a heart valve. In certain variations, the devices, methods, and/or kits may be used to manipulate chordae tendineae to provide additional space in a ventricle of a heart (e.g., enhancing the accessibility of the ventricle).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

advancing a diagnostic catheter to a subvalvular space of a heart;

advancing a guidewire through a lumen of the diagnostic catheter and into the subvalvular space of the heart around at least a portion of a subannular groove region;

using the diagnostic catheter to assess the accessibility of the subvalvular space and to determine whether a subsequent therapy in the subvalvular space is appropriate;

withdrawing the diagnostic catheter from the subvalvular space; and

performing the subsequent therapy if it is determined that the subsequent therapy in the subvalvular space is appropriate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising withdrawing the guidewire from the subvalvular space of the heart.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the guidewire is a first guidewire and wherein the method further comprises advancing a second catheter to the subvalvular space of the heart after the diagnostic catheter and the first guidewire have been withdrawn from the subvalvular space of the heart.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising advancing a second guidewire through a lumen of the second catheter.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising advancing the second guidewire around at least a portion of the subannular groove region.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising advancing an anchor deployment catheter over the second guidewire.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising deploying an anchor from the anchor deployment catheter into the subannular groove region.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising deploying a plurality of anchors from the anchor deployment catheter into the subannular groove region.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the second catheter has a larger outer diameter than the diagnostic catheter.