Vascular access devices and systems

A vascular access apparatus for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel through a graft vessel having port and anastomosis ends and that is anastomosed to the blood vessel at the anastomosis end, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) an occlusal balloon having a delivery end opposite an access end and an interior capable of receiving a fluid, said occlusal balloon being sized to expand within a graft vessel anastomosed to a blood vessel such that said delivery end generally corresponds with the anastomosis end of a graft vessel;
• (b) a port device in fluid communication with the occlusal balloon at the access end of the occlusal balloon, said port device being in fluid communication with said occlusal balloon, and said port device being sized and adapted for leak proof attachment to the port end of a graft vessel;
• and
• (c) a semipermeable membrane at the delivery end of the occlusal balloon allowing for selective matter transport between the blood in the blood vessel and the interior of the occlusal balloon.

A vascular access apparatus for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel through a graft vessel having port and anastomosis ends and that is anastomosed to the blood vessel at the anastomosis end, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) an inflatable balloon having a delivery end opposite, an opposite access end and an interior capable of receiving a fluid, said inflatable balloon being sized to expand within a graft vessel anastomosed to a blood vessel such that said delivery end generally corresponds with the anastomosis end of a graft vessel;
• (b) a port device in fluid communication with the inflatable balloon at the access end of the inflatable balloon, wherein said port device has at least one self-sealing aperture for delivering fluids into or for extracting fluids from the inflatable balloon, and said port device being sized and adapted for leak proof attachment to the port end of a graft vessel;
• and
• (c) a semipermeable membrane at the delivery end of the inflatable balloon that is impermeable to substances having a nominal molecular weight that is greater than or equal to about 50,000.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, comprising:

• (a) a graft vessel with an anastomosis end;
• (b) means for selectively occluding an opening at the anastomosis end, wherein the occluding means is positioned and adapted to expand within the graft vessel at the anastomosis end of the graft vessel to block fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel, wherein said occluding means is adapted to contract to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel;
• (c) means for selectively providing access to the occluding means, wherein the means for selectively providing access is in fluid communication with the occluding means and wherein the graft vessel extends in a leak-proof manner from the means for selectively providing access such that the occluding means can be selectively distended and contracted as fluid is delivered and withdrawn via the means for selectively providing access after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel;
• and
• (d) means for selectively and controllably exposing blood flow in the blood vessel to at least one physiologically active agent at the delivery end of the means for selectively occluding an opening;
• and
• wherein said vascular access system is sized and adapted to remain subcutaneously positioned in a patient's body after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel to be achieved by accessing the means for selectively providing access through the patient's skin.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, comprising:

• (a) a graft vessel with an anastomosis end and an opposite port end, the anastomosis end of the graft vessel being adapted for anastomosis to a blood vessel;
• (b) an occlusal balloon having a delivery end, an opposite access end and an interior capable of receiving a fluid, and being disposed within the graft vessel in a configuration such that the delivery end of the occlusal balloon generally corresponds with the anastomosis end of the graft vessel;
• (c) a port device attached in a leak proof manner to the port end of the graft vessel, wherein the port device is in fluid communication with the occlusal balloon at the access end of the occlusal balloon;
• and
• (d) a semipermeable membrane at the delivery end of the occlusal balloon allowing for selective matter transport between the blood in the blood vessel and the interior of the occlusal balloon.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, comprising:

• (a) an inflatable balloon having a delivery end, an opposite access end and an interior capable of receiving a fluid;
• (b) a port device in fluid communication with said inflatable balloon at the access end of said inflatable balloon, wherein said port device has at least one self-sealing aperture for delivering, fluids into or for extracting fluids from the inflatable balloon;
• (c) a semipermeable membrane at the delivery end of the inflatable balloon that is impermeable to substances having a nominal molecular weight that is greater than or equal to about 50000;
• and
• (d) a graft vessel with an anastomosis end and an opposite port end, the anastomosis end of the graft vessel being configured for anastomosis to a blood vessel, wherein the inflatable balloon is adapted for being disposed within the graft vessel in a configuration such that the delivery end of the inflatable balloon generally corresponds with the anastomosis end of the graft vessel, and wherein the port device is attachable in a leak proof manner to the port end of the graft vessel.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, the system comprising:

• (a) a graft vessel with an anastomosis end;
• (b) an occlusal balloon positioned and adapted to expand within the graft vessel at the anastomosis end of the graft vessel to block fluid communication between the graft vessel and a blood vessel once the graft vessel is anastomosed to the blood vessel, wherein said occlusal balloon is adapted to contract to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel;
• and
• (c) a port device in fluid communication with said occlusal balloon, wherein said graft vessel extends in a leak-proof manner from the port device such that the occlusal balloon can be selectively distended and contracted as fluid is delivered and withdrawn via the port device after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel;
• wherein said vascular access system is sized and adapted to remain subcutaneously positioned in a patient's body after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel to be achieved by accessing the port device through the patient's skin.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, the system comprising:

• (a) a graft vessel with an anastomosis end opposite from a port end;
• (b) an occlusal balloon having a delivery end, wherein the occlusal balloon is positioned and adapted to expand within the graft vessel at the anastomosis end of the graft vessel to block fluid communication between the graft vessel and a blood vessel once the graft vessel is anastomosed to the blood vessel such that only the delivery end is exposed to blood in the opening of the blood vessel, wherein said occlusal balloon is adapted to contract to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel;
• and
• (c) a port device coupled with said occlusal balloon to provide fluid communication between said port device and said occlusal balloon while preventing fluid communication, wherein said port device is attached in a leak-proof manner to the port end of the graft vessel such that the occlusal balloon can be selectively distended and contracted as fluid is delivered and withdrawn via the port device after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel;
• wherein said vascular access system is sized and adapted to remain subcutaneously positioned in a patient's body after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel to be achieved by accessing the port device through the patient's skin.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, the system comprising:

• (a) a graft vessel having an anastomosis end,
• (b) means for selectively occluding an opening in a blood vessel after anastomosis of the graft vessel to a blood vessel, wherein said occluding means is positioned and adapted to expand within the graft vessel at the anastomosis end of the graft vessel to block fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel, wherein said occluding means is adapted to contract to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel;
• and
• (c) means for selectively providing access to the occluding means, wherein said means for selectively providing access is in fluid communication with said occluding means, and wherein said graft vessel extends in a leak-proof manner from the means for selectively providing access such that the occluding means can be selectively distended and contracted as fluid is delivered and withdrawn via the means for selectively providing access after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel;
• wherein said vascular access system is sized and adapted to remain subcutaneously positioned in a patient's body after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel to be achieved by accessing the means for selectively providing access through the patient's skin.
• wherein said vascular access system is configured to enable blood to be withdrawn from the graft vessel by penetrating the patient's skin and the graft vessel with a needle once the occluding means has been contracted.

A vascular access system for facilitating repeated access to a blood vessel, comprising:

• (a) a graft vessel with an anastomosis end;
• (b) an occlusal balloon positioned and adapted to expand within the graft vessel at the anastomosis end of the graft vessel to block fluid communication between the graft vessel and a blood vessel once the graft vessel is anastomosed to the blood vessel, wherein said occlusal balloon is adapted to contract to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel;
• and
• (c) a port device in fluid communication with said occlusal balloon, wherein said graft vessel extends in a leak-proof manner from the port device such that the occlusal balloon can be selectively distended and contracted as fluid is delivered and withdrawn via the port device after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel;
• wherein said vascular access system is sized and adapted to remain subcutaneously positioned in a patient's body after anastomosis of the graft vessel to the blood vessel to enable selective fluid communication between the graft vessel and the blood vessel to be achieved by accessing the port device through the patient's skin;
• and
• wherein said vascular access system is configured to enable blood to be withdrawn from the graft vessel by penetrating the patient's skin and the graft vessel with a needle once the occlusal balloon has been contracted.