Catheter for guidewire support or exchange

A method of exchanging a first guidewire disposed within a patient with a second guidewire comprising:

• a) providing a catheter comprising:
• an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end with a low profile, an inner lumen extending therein from a proximal port at the proximal end to a distal port at the distal end, an intermediate port disposed between the proximal and distal port, which is in fluid communication with the inner lumen and which is a short distance away from the low profile distal end of the shaft, a longitudinal slit in an outer wall of the inner lumen extending distally from the proximal end, a sidearm disposed on the proximal end of the elongated shaft having a sidearm lumen extending longitudinally therein in fluid communication with the inner lumen of the elongate shaft and having a slit that is aligned with the longitudinal slit of the elongate shaft and a longitudinal support member secured to the elongate shaft;
• b) inserting a proximal end of the first guidewire into the distal port of the inner lumen of the catheter;
• c) advancing the catheter distally over the first guidewire until the proximal end of the first guidewire exits the intermediate port and the distal end of the catheter is in a desired location;
• d) withdrawing the first guidewire proximally out of the patient and out of the inner lumen of the catheter;
• e) inserting a distal end of the second guidewire through the sidearm lumen and into the proximal port of the inner lumen of the catheter and distally advancing the second guidewire to a desired location with the patient;
• f) pulling a proximal end of the second guidwire laterally through the slit in the sidearm lumen and inner lumen of the elongate shaft while pulling the catheter out of the patient in a proximal direction until the distal end of the catheter can be slid off the proximal end of the second guidewire while the axial position of the second guidewire is maintained.

A catheter, comprising:

• an elongated shaft having
• a) a proximal end,
• b) a distal end,
• c) a first inner lumen having a distal port at the distal end of the shaft and an intermediate port at a short distance proximal to the distal end of the shaft and distal of a proximal end of the shaft,
• d) a second inner lumen with an unobstructed distal port at the distal end of the shaft and a proximal port at the proximal end of the shaft,
• e) a longitudinal slit in a wall of the second inner lumen extending distally from the proximal end of the elongated shaft;
• and
• f) a longitudinal support member secured to the elongated shaft for axial support to the catheter.

A method of exchanging a first guidewire disposed at a treatment site within a patient with a second guidewire comprising:

• a) providing a catheter comprising:
• an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a first inner lumen with a distal port at the distal end of the shaft and an intermediate port at a position proximal of the distal end of the shaft and distal of the proximal end of the shaft, a second inner lumen with an unobstructed distal port at the distal end of the shaft and a proximal port at the proximal end of the shaft, and a longitudinal slit in a wall of the second inner lumen extending distally from the proximal end of the elongate shaft;
• and
• a longitudinal support member secured to the elongate shaft;
• b) inserting a proximal end of the first guidewire into the distal port of the first inner lumen;
• c) advancing the catheter distally over the first guidewire until the proximal end of the first guidewire exits the intermediate port and the distal end of the catheter is in a desired location;
• d) inserting a distal end of the second guidewire into the proximal port of the second inner lumen of the shaft and distally advancing the second guidewire to said treatment site within the patient;
• e) withdrawing the first guidewire proximally out of the patient and out of the first inner lumen of the exchange catheter;
• f) pulling the proximal end of the second guidewire laterally through the longitudinal slit in the second inner lumen of the elongate shaft while pulling the catheter out of the patient in a proximal direction until the distal end of the elongate shaft can be slid off the proximal end of the second guidewire while the axial position of the second guidewire is maintained.