Dilation instrument with malleable guide and dilation catheter with integral position sensor
AssigneeAcclarent, Inc.
InventorsBabak Ebrahimi, Ehsan Shameli, George L. Matlock, John H. Thinnes, Jr., Fatemeh Akbarian
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a handle assembly, a guide tube, and a dilation catheter. The guide tube extends distally from the handle assembly. At least a distal portion of the guide tube is malleable. The dilation catheter is slidably positioned in the guide tube. The dilation catheter includes a distal end, a dilator, and a position sensor. The position sensor is configured to generate a signal indicating a position of the position sensor in three-dimensional space. The dilation catheter is configured to translate relative to the guide tube.
Claims24
A method of using a surgical apparatus, the surgical apparatus including a malleable guide tube and a dilation catheter disposed within the malleable guide tube, the method including:
- (a) bending the malleable guide tube to achieve a first exit angle;
- (b) translating the dilation catheter through the malleable guide tube having the first exit angle;
- (c) bending the malleable guide tube to achieve a second exit angle;
- (d) translating the dilation catheter through the malleable guide tube having the second exit angle;
- and
- (e) translating a peripheral instrument, the peripheral instrument including a suction instrument, between the malleable guide tube and the dilation catheter.
A method of using a surgical apparatus, the surgical apparatus including a malleable guide tube having a longitudinal axis and a distal portion with a distal end, the surgical apparatus further including a dilation catheter positioned within an interior of the malleable guide tube, the method including:
- (a) bending the distal portion of the malleable guide tube to a first exit angle;
- (b) translating a portion of the dilation catheter through the interior of the malleable guide tube and beyond the distal end of the malleable guide tube to thus establish a gap between an inner surface of the malleable guide tube and an outer surface of the dilation catheter;
- (c) positioning a suction instrument within the gap.
A method of using a surgical apparatus, the surgical apparatus including a malleable guide, and a dilation catheter within an interior of the malleable guide, the method including:
- (a) bending a distal end of the malleable guide to a first bend angle associated with access to a first passageway of a patient;
- (b) advancing the dilation catheter into the first passageway of the patient via the malleable guide while the malleable guide is bent at the first bend angle;
- (c) dilating the first passageway with the dilation catheter;
- (d) bending the distal end of the malleable guide to a second bend angle associated with access to a second passageway of the patient;
- (e) advancing the dilation catheter into the second passageway of the patient via the malleable guide while the malleable guide is bent at the second bend angle;
- (f) advancing a suction instrument between the malleable guide and the dilation catheter;
- and
- (g) dilating the second passageway with the dilation catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.