Patent foramen ovale catheter and method of using the same

A catheter having a preformed shape for accessing a left atrium of a living heart within a subject's body by passing from the heart's right atrium to the heart's left atrium through a patent foramen ovale in the heart, the catheter comprising a tube of a length of about 60 cm to about 120 cm to extend out of the body containing the heart, the tube having a lumen of a diameter of about 4 French to about 8 French adapted to accommodate a wire within the lumen, the catheter having a proximal end portion terminating at a proximal opening, the catheter further having a distal end portion terminating at a distal opening, the proximal end portion being extendable from the subject's body when the distal end portion is at least partially within the subject's heart, and the catheter further comprising a primary curve and a secondary curve between the proximal end portion and the distal opening, the primary curve having a beginning curvature point and an end curvature point of the primary curve, the secondary curve having an initial curvature point and a final curvature point, and the catheter having an intermediate segment between the end curvature point of the primary curve and the initial curvature point of the secondary curve and a distal segment between the final curvature point of the secondary curve and the distal opening;

• wherein:
• the beginning curvature point of the primary curve is located about 4 cm to about 9 cm from the distal opening, the primary curve being oriented in a first direction and having a radius of curvature of about 2 cm to about 4 cm;
• the secondary curve is located at the distal end portion with an initial curvature point beginning about 0.25 cm to about 2 cm from the distal opening, the secondary curve being oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction of the primary curve and having a radius of curvature of about 0.1 cm to about 0.4 cm;
• the catheter having a projected longitudinal distance from the beginning curvature point of the primary curve to the initial curvature point of the secondary curve of about 3 cm to about 6 cm;
• the catheter having a projected lateral distance from the beginning curvature point of the primary curve to the initial curvature point of the secondary curve of about 2 cm to about 6 cm;
• and
• the catheter having a projected longitudinal distance from the initial curvature point of the secondary curve to the distal opening of about 0.2 cm to about 2 cm.