 Heart valves and suture rings therefor |
| Directed to achieving the foregoing objective and to remedying the problems in the prior art, ... |
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| Hemostatic puncture closure system and method of use |
| These and other objects of this invention are achieved by providing a system for sealing a ... |
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| Apparatus and method for dilating a lumen and for inserting an intraluminal graft |
| The invention herein provides an intraluminal graft, an insertion device for deploying the graft, ... |
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| Suture thread for intracardiac suture operation |
| It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a suture thread which makes it ... |
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| Fibered micro vaso-occlusive devices |
| This is a vaso-occlusive device made up of at least one short retainer and a longer fiber bundle. T... |
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| Method for the percutaneous suturing of a vascular puncture site |
| The present invention provides devices and methods for suturing percutaneous lumenal puncture sites.... |
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| Method and apparatus for implanting a graft in a vessel of a patient |
| The present invention pertains to an apparatus for implanting a graft into a vessel of a patient. T... |
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| Method and apparatus for local delivery of therapeutic agent |
| The present invention provides a therapeutic substance delivery device and method which provides ... |
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Catheter with expandable wire mesh tip
| Details |
Inventors: Laptewicz, Joseph E.; Yurek, Matthew T.; Silvestrini, Thomas A.;
Assignee: Schneider (USA), Inc. (Plymouth, MN)
Primary Examiner: Yasko; John D.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Richardson; Peter C., Akers; Lawrence C., Jaeger; Howard R.
A catheter for use in angioplasty and other medical procedures is disclosed. The catheter features a flexible-wire mesh tip movably attached at a distal end of the catheter, the tip being expandable from a contracted position which it is first in when the catheter is deployed inside the lumen of a vessel, to stretch open the lumen and eliminate a flow obstruction therein, such as is caused by plaque deposits; the tip subsequently being returnable to its contracted position inside the catheter when the catheter is withdrawn from the lumen of the vessel. Radio frequency energy may additionally be used to weld the source of the flow obstruction to the wall of the lumen leaving a conduit of sufficiently expanded diameter to allow resumption of normal flow in the vessel. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, a catheter featuring a novel means of lumen expansion at its distal end has been developed.
The present invention utilizes an expandable wire mesh tip attached to the distal end of the catheter.
In certain embodiments of the catheters, the wire mesh tip is expanded at the situs of a stricture in a lumen through which the catheter is being manipulated by means of a control mechanism which pulls on the mesh to shorten the length of the mesh device while simultaneously expanding its diameter.
In certain other embodiments, a wire mesh material with intrinsic shape restoring properties is employed as the material of the wire mesh tip, with the wire mesh tip being fabricated to have a default position in an expanded state, and a moveable sheath being utilized as the means to alternatively contain the wire mesh tip in a contracted position.
A catheter for insertion in the lumen of a vessel according to the present invention generally includes the elements of a tubular catheter body, a wire mesh tip and means for manipulating the wire mesh tip.
The tubular catheter body is of substantially tubular shape, open at both ends, has an inner diameter and an outer diameter, a fixed length, and a proximal end and a distal end.
The wire mesh tip is capable of being configured to have a substantially cylindrical shape of variable dimensions, open at both ends, with the wire mesh tip having a variable diameter, a variable length, and a proximal end and a distal end.
The wire mesh tip is attached at its proximal end to the distal end of the catheter body, such that the wire mesh tip and the catheter body are coaxially joined in a lengthwise direction.
The means for manipulating the wire mesh tip is utilized to move the wire mesh tip back and forth between a contracted position, wherein the tip is configured to have dimensions of a contracted diameter substantially equal to and not greater than the inner diameter of the tubular catheter body, and a contracted position length, and at least one expanded position, wherein the tip is configured to have dimensions of an expanded diameter greater than the contracted diameter and not greater than thirty times the outer diameter of the catheter body, and an expanded position length that is shorter than the contracted position length
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Heart Surgery 
