Apparatus and method for pericardial access
AssigneePacesetter, Inc.
InventorKevin L. Morgan
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Abstract
Implementations described and claimed herein provide controlled access into the intra-pericardial space. In one implementation, a medical device comprises an outer sheath, an inner sheath, and a nose shaft. The outer sheath comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The inner sheath extends through the lumen of the outer sheath and comprises a distal portion adapted to pierce the pericardial sac. The nose shaft is adapted to displace relative to a distal edge of the distal portion of the inner sheath. Displacing the distal portion of the inner sheath relative to the outer sheath until the nose shaft displaces relative to the distal edge provides controlled penetration into the intra-pericardial space.
Claims8
A method for controlled penetration into an intra-pericardial space, the method comprising:
- positioning a distal portion of an inner sheath in close proximity to a pericardial sac, the inner sheath located in an outer sheath;
- engaging the pericardial sac with a hook on the distal portion of the inner sheath;
- and
- displacing the inner sheath relative to the outer sheath until an indicator located on a proximal portion of a nose shaft displaces distally relative to a proximal end of the a middle sheath coupled to the inner sheath, the displacement of the indicator identifying when the nose shaft has distally extended from the distal portion of the inner sheath to become positioned in the intra-pericardial space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.