Aspiration catheters for thrombus removal

• US 9,532,792 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Galdonik, Jason A., Anderson, Edward, Ganesan, Kavitha, Boldenow, Greg, Kirchgessner, John, Wlodarski, Grazyna
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAY, PHILLIP A
• Application Number:
  US14/724,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20150257774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 604/500, 604506-510, 604/96.01, 604/103.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2833 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22079 with suction of debris
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/292 connection of actuating rod to handle, e.g. ball end in recess
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2923 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• 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: A61M 2025/0008 having visible markings on its surface, i.e. visible to the naked eye, for any purpose, e.g. insertion depth markers, rotational markers or identification of type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers

Abstract

Systems for less invasive medical procedures comprise a filter device mounted on an integrated guiding structure and an aspiration catheter. These components can be used together or separately, and the system can be used with other medical devices that are designed for less invasive procedures, such as procedures in a patient'"'"'s vasculature. The catheter can have a radiopaque band that is held in place under metal wire embedded within the polymer forming the tube of the catheter. In some embodiments, the aspiration catheter has a small diameter distal portion that can access into small diameter vessels in which the distal portion has a smaller average diameter than the remaining tube of the catheter.

Claims

1. A method of using an aspiration catheter in a thrombectomy procedure to treat an acute stroke condition the method comprising,

tracking the aspiration catheter along a guide structure, wherein the aspiration catheter comprises a proximal portion, a distal segment wherein the distal segment comprises a single lumen and a distal opening at the distal end of the catheter, and a tube section connected between the distal segment and the proximal portion to form a continuous aspiration lumen from the connection port to the distal opening, and wherein the distal segment has a constant outer diameter with a value that is from about 25 percent to about 95 percent of the average outer diameter of the tube section, and a smaller diameter distal portion of the continuous aspiration lumen inside the distal segment has a smaller diameter relative to the diameter of the portion of the continuous lumen inside the tube section,

placing the distal segment of the catheter into a small blood vessel with the distal opening of the catheter close to thrombus deposits within the vessel, and

applying suction through the proximal portion of an otherwise undisrupted flow within the aspiration lumen to effect aspiration at the distal opening of the catheter through the smaller diameter distal portion of the aspiration lumen to aspirate the thrombus deposits from the vessel,

wherein the small blood vessel is an artery of the brain, such that aspiration of the thrombus deposit treats the acute stroke condition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein applying suction through the connection port further affects flow through a filter.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the filter is converted from a restricted configuration to a deployed configuration to form a filtration matrix across the lumen of a vessel.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein aspiration catheter further comprises converting the filter from the deployed configuration to a retrieval configuration, and the filter in the retrieval configuration is removed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the distal segment further comprises a radiopaque marker band.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the radiopaque marker band is embedded within polymer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the suction applied through the connection port is no more than about 125 percent of the vessel flow rate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the distal segment comprises a rapid exchange segment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the distal portion of the distal segment is a curved distal tip.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the angle of the curved tip relative to a straight tip is from about 10 degrees to about 60 degrees and wherein the tip of the distal end of the catheter is beveled.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the constant diameter of the distal segment is from 0.015 inches to 0.0120 inches.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the tube has an average outer diameter from 0.030 inches to 0.150 inches.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the constant diameter of the distal segment is from about 45 percent to about 90 percent of the average outer diameter of the tube section.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the constant diameter of the distal segment is from about 60 percent to about 85 percent of the average outer diameter of the tube section.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the distal segment consists essentially of polymer formed into a tubular element with embedded metal wire.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the polymer comprise polyamides or nylons, polyurethanes, polydimethyl siloxane, or polytetrafluoroethylene.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the aspiration catheter further comprises an exterior visual marker on the proximal portion of the catheter.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving a filter within the vessel to perform an embolectomy procedure.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the filter comprises fibers.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the aspiration is performed without an adjacent filter.