Puncture locating system with blood pulsation indicator
AssigneeArrow International, Inc.
InventorsGreg A. WALTERS, Shawn Sabu Cherian, Joseph Todd Grintz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are puncture sealing systems and methods of locating a puncture site within a vessel. The systems can include elongated dilators and access sheaths that are configured to locate the puncture site within a vessel so that the position of the puncture site relative to a distal end of the access sheath is known during a puncture sealing procedure.
Claims22
A puncture locating device for locating a puncture in a blood vessel, the puncture locating device comprising:
- an elongated dilator having a distal end, a proximal end that is opposite the distal end, an outer surface, an internal channel that extends from the distal end to the proximal end, an inlet opening that is open to the internal channel and is spaced from the distal end, and an outlet opening disposed between the proximal end and the inlet opening;
- a flexible barrier attached to the elongated dilator and overlying the outlet opening so that the flexible barrier and the outer surface proximate the outlet opening at least partially define an internal volume;
- and
- wherein when the elongated dilator is inserted into the puncture of the blood vessel, blood flows into the inlet opening through the outlet opening into the internal volume, such that, pulsations in the blood flow cause the flexible barrier to pulse, thereby generating a visual and tactile indication of presence of the inlet opening in the blood vessel.
A puncture locating device for locating a puncture in a blood vessel, the puncture locating device comprising:
- an elongated dilator having a distal end, a proximal end that is opposite the distal end, an outer surface, an internal channel that extends from the distal end to the proximal end, an inlet opening that is open to the internal channel and is spaced from the distal end, an outlet opening disposed between the proximal end and the inlet opening;
- and
- a blood pulsation indicator overlying the outlet opening so that the blood pulsation indicator and the outer surface proximate the outlet opening at least partially define an internal volume,
- wherein when the elongated dilator is inserted into the puncture of the blood vessel, blood flows into the inlet opening through the outlet opening into the internal volume, such that, pulsations in the blood flow cause the blood pulsation indicator to pulse, thereby generating a visual and tactile indication of presence of the inlet opening in the blood vessel.
A method for locating a puncture in a blood vessel of a patient, the method comprising:
- inserting a guidewire through the puncture into the vessel so that a distal end of the guidewire is inside the vessel and the guidewire extends out of the puncture;
- inserting a proximal end of the guidewire into a distal end of a dilator, the dilator including a proximal end spaced from the distal end, and a plurality of markings along an outer surface of the dilator;
- moving the dilator along the guidewire in a distal direction until blood in the blood vessel flows through an inlet opening of the dilator and into an internal volume at least partially defined by the outer surface of the dilator and a flexible barrier attached to the dilator, whereby the flexible barrier repeatedly pulses in response to pressure pulsations of blood in the blood vessel;
- and
- retracting the dilator in a proximal direction along the guidewire until the flexible barrier no longer pulses;
- noting a marking of the plurality of markings on the dilator that is adjacent to the surface of the patient's skin when flexible barrier no longer pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.