Surgery – Endoscope – With chair – table – holder – or other support
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-25
2001-01-09
Leubecker, John P. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
With chair, table, holder, or other support
C604S159000, C604S523000, C606S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171234
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods for their fabrication. In particular, the invention relates to a tool for loading a small diameter flexible imaging core into a catheter body.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Intravascular imaging of blood vessel lesions prior to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, arthrectomy, and other interventional procedures, is of great benefit. A particularly successful design for an intravascular imaging apparatus employs a rotatable ultrasonic transducer, where the transducer is attached to the distal end of a flexible drive cable or imaging core. The transducer may be disposed within a catheter body or sheath and rotated in order to transmit an ultrasonic signal and produce a video image by well-known techniques.
To be compatible with introduction of the catheter into very small coronary arteries, the imaging core is reduced to correspondingly small diameters. In addition to the small diameter, the drive cable is made highly flexible so that it can pass through tortuous regions of the vasculature, particularly the coronary arteries.
However, as the diameter of the imaging core is reduced, the imaging core tends to lose column strength. Unfortunately, an imaging core with decreased column strength is inclined to collapse or buckle as the imaging core is advanced into the catheter lumen and encounters any type of increased friction due to sharp bends or constrictions, causing the axial load to reach its critical value. This occurrence is problematic since imaging cores are typically loaded into catheters by hand, which means that practitioners must be very precise in order to properly load the imaging core without damaging the imaging core. The problem of loading and advancing the imaging core can be compounded when the imaging core is loaded during clinical use, when the inner lumen of the catheter is typically wet. The surface tension forces present in any fluid on the inner lumenal wall will increase friction, which prevents easy insertion of the imaging core.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide a tool for loading a small diameter flexible imaging core having reduced pushability into a catheter body, where use of the tool can reduce bending, kinking, or buckling of the flexible imaging core as the core is advanced into an inner lumen of a catheter body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a tool for advancing imaging cores and other elongate flexible members into a lumen of a catheter body. In an exemplary embodiment, the tool facilitates coaxial loading of a small diameter flexible imaging core into an inner lumen of a catheter. The tool attaches to, or is otherwise disposed on, a proximal end of the catheter body into which a flexible member is to be loaded. The tool engages the flexible member and holds the flexible member in axial alignment with the lumen of the catheter body and provides lateral support of the flexible member while advancing the flexible member into the lumen. Preferably, the tool positions the distal end of the flexible member at a point spaced closely to the point of entry into the lumen, for example, usually within 0.5 to 1.5 cm, preferably 1.0 cm or less. By minimizing the distance, buckling, bending, or kinking of the flexible member prior to entry into the catheter body is reduced, which facilitates delivery of the flexible member into a wet or dry catheter body. The tool also allows a practitioner to deliver the imaging core into the catheter faster, more precisely, and more reliably, while avoiding kinking or bending the imaging core or else otherwise damaging the catheter.
In one embodiment, a tool is provided for coaxially loading a flexible member into a lumen of a catheter. Typically, the flexible member is a flexible imaging core or similar device. The tool includes a body which has a connector, which connects the body to a hub located on the catheter. A pair of opposed rollers, disposed proximate to the connector, are used to advance the flexible member, through the connector, and into the catheter, which is connected to the connector. The flexible member is advanced by counter rotating the rollers. Advantageously, a turning device, is used which when rotated causes rotation of at least one of the opposed rollers.
In another embodiment a tool is provided for coaxially loading a flexible imaging core into a lumen of a catheter which has a proximal end and a distal end. The tool has a body, having a connector, which connects to a hub disposed on the proximal end of the catheter. The body further has a first axis and a second axis. A first roller is attached to the first axis and a second roller is attached to the second axis. The flexible imaging core is advanced through the connector and into the catheter, connected to the connector, by counter rotating the rollers.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided which includes inserting a flexible imaging core into a tool and advancing the flexible imaging core into a lumen of a catheter.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for loading a flexible imaging core into a lumen of a catheter. The method includes inserting a distal end of a flexible imaging core between a pair of opposed rollers; axially aligning the flexible imaging core with a lumen of a catheter; and rotating the rollers to advance the flexible imaging core into the lumen. Preferably, a kit is provided which includes the tool for coaxially loading the imaging core into a lumen of a catheter; instructions for use setting forth the above described method; and a package containing the tool and the instructions for use.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a catheter system is provided which includes a catheter. The catheter has a catheter body, which has a proximal end, a distal end and an inner lumen therebetween. The catheter also has a flexible imaging core, which has a proximal end and a distal end, and which is disposed within the inner lumen. The system also includes a tool which has an advancement mechanism for advancing the flexible imaging core into the inner lumen.
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Lammerts van Bueren Linda H.
White David A.
Leubecker John P.
Sci-Med Life Systems, Inc.
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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