Catheter system for surgical access and circulatory support of the heart

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) an elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestrations
• (b) a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, at least one of the flow control members is positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated;
• and
• c) means for perfusing the pulmonary artery.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) an elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration;
• (b) a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, at least one of the flow control members is positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated;
• and
• (c) means for perfusing the pulmonary artery and means for draining one or more chambers of the heart.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) an elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration;
• (b) a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart, and wherein the succession of flow control members comprises at least two flow control members which are positioned along the catheter shaft at desired locations to isolate subcirculation regions within the patient, wherein the succession of flow control members comprises a first expandable member located at the proximal end of the catheter shaft at the site of entry of the shaft into the patient;
• and
• (c) a first inner channel extending therein from a port in the distal end of the shaft to a location in the proximal end.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) an elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration;
• (b) a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart, and wherein the succession of flow control members comprises at least two flow control members which are positioned along the catheter shaft at desired locations to isolate subcirculation regions within the patient;
• and
• (c) means for perfusing the pulmonary artery.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) an elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration;
• (b) a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart, and wherein the succession of flow control members comprises at least two flow control members which are positioned along the catheter shaft at desired locations to isolate subcirculation regions within the patient;
• (c) means for perfusing the pulmonary arterial;
• and
• (d) means for draining at least one chamber of the heart.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) a first elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated, wherein such subcirculation region is selected from the group consisting of the coronary arterial, cerebral, pulmonary, neck and limb, spinal and thoracic subcirculations;
• and
• (b) a second elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated, wherein such subcirculation region is selected from the group consisting of the coronary arterial, cerebral, pulmonary, neck and limb, spinal and thoracic subcirculations.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) a first elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated;
• and
• (b) a second elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated,
• wherein each succession of flow control members of each catheter comprises at least two flow control members which are positioned along the catheter shaft at desired locations to isolate circulation to the thorax and spinal column.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) a first elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated;
• and
• (b) a second elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation-region within the patient is isolated, wherein at least two flow control members which are positioned along the catheter shaft at desired locations to isolate drainage of the azygous veins.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) a first elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated:
• (b) a second elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated;
• and
• (c) means for perfusing the pulmonary artery.

A biventricular vascular catheter for providing access to a patient's heart for cardiopulmonary surgery, for cardiopulmonary circulatory support, and for circulatory arrest of the heart comprising:

• (a) a first elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated,
• (b) a second elongated catheter shaft configured to be advanceable from a peripheral vessel to and through at least two chambers of the heart, having a proximal end adapted to extend out of the patient and a distal end adapted to move through the chambers of the heart, said distal end having at least one fenestration, and
• a succession of flow control members positioned along the catheter shaft such that after the catheter has been positioned in the patient's body, one or more of the flow control members are positioned within the patient's heart and at least one subcirculation region within the patient is isolated;
• (c) means for perfusing the pulmonary artery.