Balloon actuated guide catheter
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsLawrence Brennan, Neil Becker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guide catheter employs a flexible shaft having a pre-formed bend at a distal end. An inflatable member is disposed on the flexible shaft and encompasses at least part of the pre-formed bend. The flexible shaft contains an inflation lumen in fluid connection with the inflatable member. Inflation of the inflatable member causes a deflection of the distal end of the flexible shaft. The guide catheter includes an inflation mechanism in fluid connection with the inflation lumen for pressurizing and depressurizing the inflation member. A guide catheter according to the present invention is useful for various medical procedures, including providing access to heart vessels for cardiac lead implantation, EP mapping, and angiography/venography.
Claims25
A guide catheter, comprising:
- a flexible shaft comprising a pre-shaped distal bend and an inflation lumen;
- an inflatable member disposed on an external surface of the flexible shaft in fluid connection with the inflation lumen, the inflatable member encompassing at least part of the pre-shaped distal bend of the flexible shaft, inflation and deflation of the inflatable member changing a shape of the pre-shaped distal bend;
- and
- an inflation mechanism in fluid connection with a proximal end of the inflation lumen, the inflation mechanism selectably pressurizing and depressurizing the fluid within the inflation lumen to respectively inflate and deflate the inflatable member.
A guide catheter, comprising:
- a flexible shaft comprising a pre-shaped distal bend, an inflation lumen, and an inflatable section in fluid connection with the inflation lumen, the inflatable section disposed along at least part of the pre-shaped distal bend and changing a shape of the pre-shaped distal bend upon inflation and deflation of the inflatable section;
- and
- an inflation mechanism in fluid connection with a proximal end of the inflation lumen, the inflation mechanism selectably pressurizing and depressurizing the fluid within the inflation lumen to respectively inflate and deflate the inflatable section.
A method of inserting a guide catheter into a patient's blood vessel, comprising:
- providing a guide catheter comprising:
- a flexible shaft comprising a pre-shaped distal bend, an inflation lumen, and an inflatable section disposed along at least part of the pre-shaped distal bend, the inflatable section changing a shape of the pre-shaped distal bend upon inflation and deflation of the inflatable section;
- and
- a flexible shaft comprising a pre-shaped distal bend, an inflation lumen, and an inflatable section in fluid connection with the inflation lumen, the inflatable section disposed along at least part of the pre-shaped distal bend and changing a shape of the pre-shaped distal bend upon inflation and deflation of the inflatable section;
- inserting a distal end of the flexible shaft through the patient's venous system via an access vessel;
- and
- actuating the inflation mechanism to selectably inflate and deflate the inflatable section to change the shape of the pre-shaped distal bend for finding and cannulating the blood vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.