Apparatus, system and method for manipulating a surgical catheter and working device with a single hand

A surgical catheter adapted to facilitate manipulation of a guide and a working device with a single hand, the surgical catheter comprising:

• a handle having an upper portion and a lower portion;
• the upper portion of the handle having a working-device opening at a proximal end thereof and a guide coupling at a distal end thereof;
• the lower portion of the handle having a handle coupling extending therefrom and concavities on a surface thereof, the concavities being disposed between the handle coupling and the guide coupling to facilitate gripping of the handle by fingers of one hand of an operator of the handle, the handle coupling being configured to couple to a source of suction;
• a guide having a proximal guide opening at a proximal end, a distal guide opening at a distal end, and a guide duct extending from the proximal guide opening to the distal guide opening, the proximal end of the guide having at least three protrusions around a periphery thereof and spaced from the proximal guide opening, the proximal end of the guide being configured to be inserted into the guide coupling such that the at least three protrusions are at least partially inserted into the guide coupling;
• a Y-shaped section disposed within the handle, the Y-shaped section having a working-device section and a branch section, the working-device section having a first opening at a proximal end thereof, a second opening at a distal end thereof, and a working-device duct extending from the first opening to the second opening;
• wherein the working-device duct is generally aligned with the guide duct when the guide is inserted in the guide coupling, such that a working device may be inserted into the first opening of the Y-shaped section, pass through the working-device duct and the guide duct to emerge from the distal end of the guide;
• the branch section having a third opening and a branch duct extending from the third opening to the working-device duct, the third opening being coupled to the handle coupling and configured to couple the source of suction to the working-device duct to provide suction at the distal end of the guide;
• wherein the handle is adapted to permit the operator to grip the lower portion of the handle using fingers of the one hand while simultaneously positioning a thumb or forefinger of the one hand to manipulate the working device via a portion of the working device immediately adjacent the upper portion of the handle;
• a balloon catheter inserted into the first opening of the Y-shaped section and through the guide when the guide is inserted in the guide coupling, the balloon catheter having an inflation segment at a distal end thereof;
• wherein the balloon catheter includes an inflation tube coupled to the balloon catheter at a shoulder feature, the inflation tube configured to be coupled to an inflation device such that operation of the inflation device causes the inflation segment of the balloon catheter to inflate;
• and
• wherein the handle is configured such that the operator may manipulate the inflation segment of the balloon catheter relative to the distal end of the guide by moving the shoulder feature towards or away from the working-device opening and manipulate the working device via a portion of the working device disposed between the shoulder feature and the working-device opening.