Guide Catheter With Removable Support
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsStephen Griffin, Gregory E. Mirigian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Catheters such as guide catheters can be configured for delivery of devices to vasculature portions such as intracranial spaces while retaining a desired level of flexibility. A catheter having an elongate shaft can include removable support means that can provide column support to the elongate shaft. The elongate shaft can include anchoring means that releasably secure the removable support means. The catheter can be deployed within a patient's vasculature, followed by deploying the removable support means.
Claims20
A catheter, comprising:
- an elongate catheter shaft having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and an outer surface;
- a support track radially projecting from the outer surface of the shaft;
- and
- a support rib for providing column strength to the catheter shaft, the support rib having a cutout formed therein, the cutout being disposed over the support track;
- wherein the support track has a cross-sectional profile that is complementary to the shape of the cutout and is configured to permit the support rib to move longitudinally along the support track while limiting radial movement of the support rib relative to the support track.
A method for adding column strength to a catheter, the method comprising:
- providing a catheter, the catheter comprising:
- a catheter shaft having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and an outer surface, and
- a support track radially projecting from the outer surface of the shaft;
- advancing the catheter through a body lumen to a position adjacent an area of interest;
- providing a support rib for providing column strength to the catheter shaft, the support rib having a cutout formed therein;
- wherein the support track has a cross-section profile that is complementary to the shape of the cutout and is configured to permit the support ribs to move longitudinally along the support track while limiting radial movement of the support rib relative to the support track;
- wherein the support track extends from the proximal portion of the catheter shaft to the distal portion of the catheter shaft;
- wherein the support rib has a distal end;
- disposing the cutout of the support rib over the support track;
- and
- advancing the support rib along the support track from a first position where the distal end of the support rib is disposed adjacent to the proximal portion of the catheter shaft to a second position where the distal end of the support rib is disposed adjacent to the distal portion of the catheter shaft.
A method of deploying a catheter within a vascular lumen, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, an exterior surface extending therebetween, and a plurality of support tracks axially disposed over the exterior surface, the method comprising steps of:
- advancing the catheter through the vascular lumen until the distal end of the elongate shaft reaches a desired position within the vascular lumen;
- and
- subsequently deploying one or more support ribs over one or more of the plurality of support tracks and advancing the one or more support ribs over one or more of the plurality of support tracks to a position proximal of the distal end of the elongate shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.