Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – With means for cutting – scarifying – or vibrating tissue
Reexamination Certificate
1994-12-08
2003-04-08
Casler, Brian L. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
With means for cutting, scarifying, or vibrating tissue
C604S035000, C604S043000, C606S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06544209
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and procedures, and more particularly, relates to medical devices and procedures for removing thrombus or other tissue deposits from the cardiovascular system, natural or synthetic tubule or cavity found in the human body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Procedures and apparatus have been developed for ease in removing various tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,813 issued to Kensey and U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,579 issued to Shiber describe techniques for the removal of plaque deposited in arteries by mechanical ablation using rotating cutting surfaces. These relatively traumatic approaches are directed to the treatment and removal of very hard substances.
In current medical procedures, thrombus and other tissue are often removed using a catheter such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,811 issued to Fogarty. In this system, a surgical cutdown is performed to access the vessel and allow catheter entry and advancement to a point beyond the deposit. The balloon is inflated and the catheter is withdrawn pulling the tissue along with it.
Pressurized fluids have also been used in the past to flush undesirable substances from body cavities. U.S. Pat. No. 1,902,418 describes such a system for domesticated animals. The more modern approaches tend to use vacuum rather than gravity as the primary means for removal of the deposits or tissue and relatively low fluid pressures to cut into and fragment the substances to be removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,505 issued to Wallach describes a surgical apparatus for the removal of tissue from the eye of a patient. As with similar systems, Wallach uses a relatively low pressure jet of water (i.e. 15 to 3500 psi) to disintegrate the tissue, and a suction pump to perform the actual removal.
A similar approach applied to the cardiovascular system is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,672 issued to Veltrup. Veltrup also provides a much lower pressure jet of water (i.e. less than 450 psi) to fragment deposits. As with Wallach, Veltrup uses a vacuum pump for evacuation of the fragments. The distal end of the Veltrup catheter is repositionable and requires manual entrapment of the deposits, or else the catheter jet must be moved into contact with the deposit in order to accomplish tissue fragmentation. The vacuum applied by the suction duct holds the tissue at its opening while a jet of water breaks up a solid structure at its mouth. This device is basically a suction tube which requires a vacuum to operate, but contains a distal jet aimed at the distal opening in order to reduce blockage of the opening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention achieves the removal of unwanted tissue by utilizing high-pressure fluid jets at the distal tip of a catheter to draw the tissue towards the catheter and cut or emulsify the tissue; the resulting slurry of tissue and liquid can then be removed through an exhaust lumen of the catheter, and the fluid jet(s) can provide energy to drive this exhaust. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art systems by operating at higher pressures than those envisioned by Veltrup, thereby providing for entrainment of the thrombus or tissue into the fluid jet(s). In addition, the higher pressures produces a force which can be used to drive the fragmented tissue out of the catheter without using vacuum. The catheter can draw nearby thrombus or tissue towards the fluid jet(s), which then fragments it without requiring that the catheter be moved into direct contact or juxtaposition with the tissue. The high energy of the jet impinging on the opening to the evacuation lumen eliminates the need for a vacuum pump, as the fragmented debris is removed by the evacuation lumen as it is driven out with a driving force above atmospheric pressures.
According to the present invention, energy is added to the system via an extremely high pressure stream(s) of liquid, solution, suspension, or other fluid, such as saline solution, which is delivered to the distal end of the catheter via a high pressure tubing, which directs jet(s) of high velocity fluid at the opening of an exhaust lumen. This stream serves to dislodge thrombus deposits, entrain them into the jet, emulsify them, and drive them out of an exhaust lumen. Tissue or debris such as thrombus particles are attracted to the jet(s) due to the localized high velocity and resultant localized low pressure. Recirculation patterns and fluid entrainment bring the thrombus continually into close proximity of the jet(s). Once emulsified by the jet, the tissue can be removed through the exhaust lumen by flow generated as a result of stagnation pressure which is induced at the mouth of the exhaust lumen by conversion of kinetic energy to potential energy (i.e., pressure) of at least one fluid jet directed at and impinging on the lumen mouth. The pressure in the high pressure fluid tubing must be great enough to generate a high localized velocity, and hence, a low localized pressure necessary to entrain the surrounding thrombus or tissue. A high enough pressure to generate substantial stagnation pressure at the opening to the exhaust lumen is necessary to drive the exhaust flow. A pressure of at least 500 psi is needed for the high pressure fluid at the tip, and pressures of over 1000 psi will provide even better entrainment and stagnation pressures. The stagnation pressure formed at the mouth of the exhaust lumen serves to drive the fragmented thrombus or tissue out of the exhaust lumen. This pressure can typically be greater than one atmosphere, and therefore, provides a greater driving force for exhaust than can be accomplished by using a vacuum pump. Additional jets of lower energy may be directed radially outward to aid in removal of thrombus or tissue from the vessel wall, and provide a recirculation pattern which can bring fragmented tissue into contact with the jet(s) impinging on the exhaust lumen opening.
The procedure is practiced by percutaneously or intraoperatively entering the vascular system, tubule, or other cavity of the patient at a convenient location with a cannula. The catheter may be inserted either directly or over a previously positioned guide wire and advanced under fluoroscopy, angioscopy or ultrasound device to the site of the vascular occlusion, obstruction or tissue deposit. The exhaust lumen can permit the passage of an angioplasty dilation catheter, guidewire, angioscope, or intravascular ultrasound catheter for intravascular viewing. The lesion site may contain an aggregation of blood factors and cells, thrombus deposit, or other tissues which are normally identified by angiography or other diagnostic procedure. One or more balloons may be inflated to stabilize the distal end of the catheter and provide a degree of isolation of the area to be treated. An isolation balloon located proximal to the high pressure fluid jets can prohibit fragmented tissues from migrating proximally around the outside of the catheter shaft and immobilizing into a side branch of a blood vessel. An isolation. balloon distal to the high pressure fluid jets can prohibit immobilization distally. This may be of greater importance if immobilization of fragmented debris may generate unfavorable clinical sequelae. Thrombolytic drugs such as streptokinase, urokinase, or tPA, and other drugs may be delivered through the catheter along with the saline or separately to adjunctively aid in the treatment of the lesion. A balloon may also be located at the distal end of the catheter to provide the capability of dilation of the vessel, tubule, or cavity either prior to or following the thrombus or tissue ablation and removal.
The catheter described herein is a part of a system in the first embodiment (
FIG. 1
) which includes a high pressure fluid supply, the fluid being either sterile saline or other suitable physiological solution compatible with the site of catheter operation within the body. The high pressure of the fluid can be generated with a positive displacement pump, such as
Drasler William J.
Dutcher Robert G.
Jenson Mark L.
Protonotarios Emmanuil I.
Thielen Joseph M.
Casler Brian L.
Jaeger Hugh D.
Possis Medical, Inc.
Rodriguez Cris L.
LandOfFree
Thrombectomy and tissue removal method and device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Thrombectomy and tissue removal method and device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Thrombectomy and tissue removal method and device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3111908