Offset catheter

• US 9,408,665 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spectranetics Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Spectranetics Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Fisher, William T., Sauro, Dennis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CRANDALL, LYNSEY P
• Application Number:
  US12/333,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/245 for removing obstructions in blood vessels or calculi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320775 Morcellators, impeller or propeller like means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2238 with means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09166 having radio-opaque features
• 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 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

Various embodiments of an offset catheter are provided. In some embodiments, an offset catheter includes a guidewire tube and a catheter coupled with an elastic and/or compressible rib. The compressible rib provides an offset or separation between the catheter and the guidewire tube in its resting state. The rib has an initial resting state, but may be forced into a compressed state. When released from the compressed state, the rib returns to its resting state. An offset catheter may be compressed and slid through a sheath. When the offset catheter emerges from the sheath, the distal tip will return to its resting state providing an operation offset.

Claims

1. An offset catheter comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, a guidewire tubular member configured to accept a guide wire, and a working tubular member, wherein the guidewire tubular member and the working tubular member are movable relative to each other near the distal end; and

an elastic rib comprising a first edge and a second edge, wherein the elastic rib is disposed near the distal end of the catheter body between the guidewire tubular member and the working tubular member, the elastic rib being coupled with both the guidewire tubular member along the first edge and the working tubular member along the second edge, wherein the elastic rib is compressible from the first edge to the second edge, wherein the elastic rib includes a relaxed state that provides a separation between the working tubular member and the guidewire tubular member, the separation caused by the relaxed state of the elastic rib, and a compressed state in which the elastic rib is at least partially folded along the longitudinal axis of the catheter body, and where the guidewire tubular member and the working tubular member are positioned adjacent to each other upon compressing the elastic rib from the relaxed state to the compressed state.

2. The offset catheter according to claim 1, wherein the elastic rib comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

3. The offset catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a second elastic rib coupled with the guidewire tubular member along a third edge proximate to the distal end of the guidewire tubular member and coupled with the working tubular member along a fourth edge proximate to the distal end of the working tubular member.

4. The offset catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a light guide disposed within the working tubular member.

5. The offset catheter according to claim 1, further comprising an aspiration aperture at the distal end of the working tubular member.

6. The offset catheter according to claim 5, further comprising an aspiration vacuum coupled with the proximal end of the working tubular member.

7. The offset catheter according to claim 1, wherein the guidewire tubular member extends more distally than the working tubular member.

8. The offset catheter according to claim 1, wherein the guidewire tubular member comprises a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of a guidewire.

9. The offset catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a proximal sheath, wherein a portion of the catheter and a portion of the guidewire tubular member are disposed within the proximal sheath adjacent to one another, wherein advancing the guidewire tubular member and the working tubular member from within the proximal sheath returns the elastic rib from the compressed state to the relaxed state.

10. An offset catheter comprising:

a guidewire tube having a distal end and a proximal end;

a catheter body having a distal end and a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end; and

a separation means for providing separation between the distal end of the catheter body and the guidewire tube, the separation means comprising a first edge coupled along the catheter body and a second edge coupled along the guidewire tube, wherein the separation means is operable to provide the separation when the separation means is in a relaxed state, and wherein the separation means is compressible from the first edge to the second edge, wherein the separation means is at least partially folded along the longitudinal axis of the catheter body in a compressed state.

11. The offset catheter according to claim 10, wherein the guidewire tube comprises a stiffness greater than the stiffness of a guidewire.

12. The offset catheter according to claim 10, further comprising a guidewire disposed within the guidewire tube, and the stiffness of the guidewire tube being greater than the stiffness of the guidewire.

13. The offset catheter according to claim 10, wherein the catheter body comprises a light guide.

14. The offset catheter according to claim 10, wherein the catheter body comprises an aspiration aperture at the distal end of the catheter body.

15. The offset catheter according to claim 10, further comprising a proximal sheath, wherein a portion of the catheter body and a portion of the guidewire tube are disposed within in the proximal sheath adjacent to one another, wherein advancing the catheter body and the portion of the guidewire tube from within the proximal sheath returns the separation means from the compressed state to the relaxed state.

16. An offset catheter comprising:

a guidewire tube including an inner lumen configured to accept a guidewire, a proximal end, and a distal end;

a laser catheter including a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end;

an elastic rib comprising a first edge and a second edge, wherein the elastic rib is coupled along the first edge with the guidewire tube proximate to the distal end of the guidewire tube and coupled along the second edge with the laser catheter proximate to the distal end of the laser catheter, wherein the elastic rib includes a relaxed state that provides a separation between the distal end of the laser catheter and the guidewire tube, wherein the separation is caused by the relaxed state of the elastic rib, and wherein the elastic rib is collapsible from the first edge to the second edge along the longitudinal axis of the catheter in a collapsed state; and

a laser coupled with the laser catheter.