Methods and systems for vein harvesting
AssigneeThomas J. Fogarty
InventorsBradley Hill, Neil Holmbren, Bruce Modesitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Veins are removed using a pull catheter introduced over a guidewire which extends between first and second percutaneous access points. Optionally, a side branch management tool including an excision device and/or a viewing scope can be advanced over the same guidewire in the direction opposite to that of the pull catheter. In that way, as the pull catheter inverts the vein being removed, side branches can be selectively viewed and/or severed using the side branch management tool.
Claims18
A method for vein removal, said method comprising:
- exposing first and second spaced-apart locations along vein;
- transecting the vein at each location;
- passing a guidewire through a lumen of the vein between the first and the second location;
- introducing a pull catheter over the wire between the first location and the second location;
- attaching the vein to a distal end of the pull catheter at the second location;
- and
- pulling the pull catheter from the second location to remove vein through the first location, wherein the vein is inverted with an inversion line which moves from the second location toward the first location as the vein is inverted.
An improved method of vein removal, said method being of the type wherein a pull catheter is advanced through a lumen of the vein, attached to the vein, and pulled back to invert the vein, wherein the improvement comprises excising side branches which are exposed on an inversion line of the vein as the vein is inverted.
An improved method of vein removal, said method being of the type wherein a pull catheter is advanced through a lumen of the vein, attached to the vein, and pulled back to invert the vein, wherein the improvement comprises introducing a viewing scope in a direction opposite to that of the pull catheter and viewing an inversion line of the vein as the vein is inverted.
An improved method of vein removal, said method being of the type wherein a pull catheter is advanced through a lumen of the vein, attached to the vein, and pulled back to invert the vein, wherein rhe improvement comprises introducing a side branch management tool in a direction opposite to that of the pull catheter, viewing an inversion line of the vein as it is inverted using a viewing scope on the tool, locating side branches in view of the viewing scope, and excising at least some of the located side branches with an excision device on the tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.