Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Arterial prosthesis – Stent combined with surgical delivery system
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-28
2001-07-17
Milano, Michael J. (Department: 2165)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Arterial prosthesis
Stent combined with surgical delivery system
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261315
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to treatment of a patient's tubular body structures, and more particularly to facilitating location of treatment sites along such structures.
A variety of medical treatments involve needing to know a point along a patient's tubular body structure at which a treatment step is to be performed. As just one example of this, a tubular bypass graft may need to be installed in a patient's circulatory system. It may be difficult from outside the circulatory system tissue (and possibly other associated tissue) to find the exact location or locations at which either or both ends of the bypass graft should be attached. For example, one or both of these points may be located remotely and relatively inaccessibly in the patient where it is difficult to see. Alternatively or additionally, at one or both of these points the patient's circulatory system tubing may be surrounded by or embedded in other tissue such as fat or the myocardium. The recent trend toward less invasive treatments may increase the difficulty experienced by the physician in locating the point or points along the patient's body tubing at which treatment steps are to be performed.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide methods and apparatus for facilitating the location of medical treatment sites along a patient's tubular body structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing methods and apparatus for placing a longitudinal marker structure through a side wall of a patient's tubular body structure. The marker is preferably placed through the side wall of the tubular body structure from inside that structure. The marker preferably extends out of the side wall of the tubular body structure through any adjacent tissue. The marker may be introduced into the patient through a catheter or catheter-like instrumentation that has been inserted longitudinally into the patient along lumens of the patient's tubular body structure. The catheter or catheter-like apparatus may include a distal portion for deflecting a distal portion of the marker structure laterally toward the side wall of the tubular body structure where the marker is to pass through that side wall. The marker is preferably small in cross section and sharply pointed so that it can pass through the side wall tissue but without making a large hole that will leak or be slow to heal if necessary. The marker is preferably adapted for good visibility by whatever means are employed to observe it. For example, the marker may be made radio-opaque for good radiologic (e.g., X-ray or fluoroscopic) observation. The marker may be brightly colored or fluorescent, or may even include a visible light source (e.g., via fiber optics) to facilitate visual detection of the marker. The marker may always remain attached to instrumentation that extends proximally out of the patient so that the marker can be removed from the patient at any time. Alternatively, the marker may be selectively detachable from the instrumentation that is used to install it so that the marker can be left in place in the patient for subsequent use after the instrumentation that was used to install it has been removed from the patient.
A possible additional use of the markers of this invention is as an anchor or stabilizer for other apparatus to be used in treating the patient.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
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Berg Todd Allen
St. Germain Jon Patrick
Fish & Neave
Jackson Robert R.
Milano Michael J.
Mohan Brajesh
St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Group Inc.
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