Protective sheath for catheters
AssigneeAdvanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
InventorsSteve Bigus, Napoleon L. Caliguiran, Dorrie Happ, Virgilda Torate
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sheath is provided for covering a device on the distal end of a catheter system during the delivery of the device to an intravascular site within a patient. The sheath can be added to any delivery system prior to use and is intended to protect a deliverable device, such as an intravascular stent, from being dislodged prematurely from the catheter system or moved with respect thereto.
Claims31
A sheath for use with a guide wire and catheter system, comprising:
- an elongated body having a distal end;
- a protective section for enclosing and protecting a distal portion of the catheter system, and having a proximal end adjacent the elongated body distal end and a distal end;
- a tapered end section that smoothly tapers from a first larger cross section proximal end adjacent the protective section distal end to a reduced cross section distal end and is formed with a notch through which the protected enclosed distal portion of the catheter system may extend;
- and
- a distal tip disposed adjacent the tapered section reduced cross section distal end and formed with a passage through which the guide wire may pass.
A sheath for use with a guide wire and catheter system, comprising:
- an elongated body having a distal end;
- a protective section for enclosing and protecting a distal portion of the catheter system, and having a proximal end adjacent the elongated body distal end and a distal end;
- a tapered end section that smoothly tapers from a first larger cross section proximal end adjacent the protective section distal end to a reduced cross section distal end and is configured to be radially outwardly expandable to allow the distal portion of the catheter system to pass therethrough;
- and
- a distal tip disposed adjacent the tapered section reduced cross section distal end and formed with a passage through which the guide wire may pass.
A method of protecting a catheter system with a protective sheath, the catheter system having a device on a distal end thereof, the sheath having an adapter, an elongated body, a protective region with a tapered distal end containing a notch, and a distal tip having an exit port for a guide wire, comprising the steps of:
- inserting the catheter system through the sheath adapter and advancing the catheter system until a distal tip of the catheter abuts the distal tip of the sheath;
- backloading a guide wire through the distal tip of the sheath and sliding the guide wire through the distal tip of the catheter system;
- advancing the protective sheath and the catheter system over the guide wire until the guide wire exits the sheath and the catheter system;
- advancing the sheath and the catheter system to the treatment site within the body lumen of the patient;
- retracting a distal end of the guide wire through the distal tip of the sheath and into the distal end of the catheter thereby disengaging the sheath from the guide wire;
- retracting the protective sheath proximally relative to the catheter system thereby causing the distal end of the catheter to pass through the notch in the protective section of the sheath until the device on the distal end of the catheter is completely exposed relative to the sheath;
- and
- performing a therapeutic action using the catheter system.
A method of protecting a catheter system with a protective sheath, the catheter system having a device on a distal end thereof, the sheath having an adapter, an elongated body, a protective region with a tapered distal end configured to expand radially outward, and a distal tip having an exit port for a guide wire, comprising the steps of:
- inserting the catheter system through the sheath adapter and advancing the catheter system until a distal tip of the catheter abuts the distal tip of the sheath;
- backloading a guide wire through the distal tip of the sheath and sliding the guide wire through the distal tip of the catheter system;
- advancing the protective sheath and the catheter system over the guide wire until the guide wire exits the sheath and the catheter system;
- advancing the sheath and the catheter system to the treatment site within the body lumen of the patient;
- retracting the protective sheath proximally relative to the catheter system thereby causing the distal end of the catheter to expand the protective section of the sheath and pass therethrough until the device on the distal end of the catheter is completely exposed relative to the sheath;
- and
- performing a therapeutic action using the catheter system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.