Loading patent…
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsChristian Scott Eversull, Nicholas J. Mourlas, Stephen Arie Leeflang, Asha Shrinivas Nayak, David John Miller
Estimating the term…
Apparatus and methods are provided for accessing body lumens and/or for delivering instruments into body lumens, e.g., vessels within a patient's vasculature. A flexible sheath is provided that is expandable from a contracted condition to an enlarged condition wherein the sheath at least partially defines a lumen therein. The sheath is lubricious and has a relatively thin wall, thereby providing a collapsible/expandable guide for delivering fluids and/or instruments through tortuous anatomy and/or into relatively narrow passages. The sheath is advanced from an entry site to a body lumen in the contracted condition. Once the sheath reaches a target body lumen, the sheath is expanded to the enlarged condition, thereby defining a lumen within the sheath, and fluids and/or instruments are introduced into the body lumen via the sheath lumen. Upon completing the procedure, the sheath is removed from the body lumen.
An apparatus for providing access to a body lumen of a patient, comprising:
A method for accessing a body lumen of a patient, the method comprising:
An apparatus for providing access to a body lumen of a patient, comprising an expandable flimsy sheath comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and a length sufficient for the sheath to extend between an entry site into a patient's body and a target body lumen, the sheath being expandable from a contracted condition to minimize a profile of the sheath to allow insertion into a body lumen, and an enlarged condition wherein the sheath at least partially defines a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends.
An apparatus for delivery into a body lumen of a patient, comprising:
A method for delivering an instrument through an occlusion in a body lumen using a catheter comprising an expandable sheath extending along an outer surface of the catheter, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.