Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Boston Scientific Corporation Northwest Technology Center, Inc.

Bsc Northwest Technology Center, Inc.

Lucas S Gordon

Edward I Wulfman

Robert Lawrence Barry

Brandon J Shuman

David C Auth

David H Dillard

Lauri J DeVore

Verivada C Chandrasekaran

Mark H Wyzgala

Tom J Hiblar

Matt Hefner

Donald Charles Baumgarten

Eric B Hamilton

Bryan A Kinsella

Maria Palasis

Thomas J Clement

Hanh To

Methods of sealing an injection site of a tissue are provided, where therapeutic agent has been injected into tissue, resulting in increased efficiency or agent uptake. Also provided are methods for delivering therapeutic agent to a tissue, which include injecting a therapeutic agent into a tissue and subsequently sealing the injection site, or engaging an injection device with the tissue for a sufficient period of time that sealing is not necessary to avoid leakage of the therapeutic agent. In one embodiment radio frequency cautery is used to seal the injection site upon needle removal from the tissue. In other embodiments, the injection site is sealed by resistance heating, laser heating or plugging the site with a solid plug or coagulating material at the site.

Methods of sealing an injection site

A PMR catheter and associated methods are disclosed. A catheter in accordance with the present invention comprised, an elongate shaft having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending through at least the distal portion thereof, an electrode disposed proximate the distal portion of the elongate shaft, and an electrode lumen defined by the electrode and being in fluid communication with the lumen of the elongate shaft.

PMR catheter and associated methods

A steerable guide wire and associated methods are disclosed. A guidewire in accordance with the present invention includes a shaft assembly including a lumen defined by a coil and an elongate shaft disposed within the lumen defined by the coil, a distal end of the coil being fixed to the elongate shaft proximate a distal end thereof, the elongate shaft including a curved portion proximate the distal end thereof, wherein the curved portion of the elongate shaft is biased to assume a substantially curved shape.

Steerable guidewire

An atherectomy burr has an operating diameter that is larger than the diameter of a catheter in which the burr is routed. The burr may include a polymeric balloon that is coated with an abrasive and that expands when the burr is rotated. Alternatively, the burr may include a polymeric tube that is coated with an abrasive and secured to the proximal end of the burr. When the burr is rotated, the polymeric tube expands by centrifugal force. Alternatively, the burr may comprise a metallic strip wound over a mandrel. When the strip is tightly coiled to the mandrel, its outer diameter decreases. The outer diameter of the burr increases as the metallic strip expands. In addition, the burr can be formed as a wire spring wound over a drive tube. The distal end of the spring is coupled to a nose cone that can move within a distal lumen in the drive tube. The maximum expansion of the burr is controlled by the distance that the nose cone can be retracted into the lumen. In addition, the present invention includes a burr having an indexable outer diameter. Various indexing mechanisms are disclosed for selectively increasing or decreasing the distance between a proximal and distal end of the burr. As the length of the burr changes, the outer diameter of a number of cutting blades is changed to allow a physician to create different sized lumens in a patient's vessel.

Expandable atherectomy burr

An atherectomy device that may reduce the risk of damage to a vessel wall. One rotatable atherectomy burr has a recessed material removal portion lying between less abrasive proximal and distal shoulders. The shoulders can have a straight, rounded or elliptical taper. The shoulders can perform a cam action when the burr is canted is a vessel, as when passing the burr and guide wire through a tortuous, stenosed vessel path. The shoulders act to align the burr with the path through the vessel, presenting the less abrasive shoulders to the vessel wall while presenting the abrasive portion to a stenosis.

Atherectomy device for reducing damage to vessels and/or in-vivo stents

Expandable atherectomy burr and method of ablating an occlusion from a

A percutaneous aspiration catheter removing thrombus or other emboli from blood vessels and a method of extracting embolus pieces larger than the diameter of the catheter. The percutaneous aspiration catheter has barbs positioned near its end to trap material within the catheter.

Percutaneous aspiration catheter system

A stent securing catheter including a tubular body having a longitudinal axis and defining a stent receiving lumen. The tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end wherein the distal end defines an opening into the receiving lumen. The opening into the receiving lumen is disposed at a generally acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

Stent securing catheter

An improved system for removing thrombus from blood vessels comprising a catheter shaft having proximal and distal ends, designed to be advanced through a hemostasis valve and guide catheter and over a guidewire for placement of its distal end at a point proximal to a thrombus, the catheter shaft defining at least one longitudinally-extending lumen, the catheter having a guidewire retainer which retains the guidewire within the catheter in a peripheral or non-centered part of the catheter cross-section, the distal tip of the catheter being angled back from the guidewire retainer to allow the catheter to follow the guidewire around tight bends and across restrictions easily; a suction device in fluid communication with the proximal end of the catheter for providing vacuum down the catheter lumen to the distal tip, for drawing thrombus into the lumen; and the lumen terminating in an angled tip at the distal end, the angled tip improving the removal of thrombus adhering to the vessel wall and reducing clogging of the hole with thrombus.

Percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy catheter system

The invention is an apparatus for breaking up a thrombus by introducing a tating core wire into the thrombus whereby the fibrin of the thrombus will be withdrawn from the thrombus into the rotating core wire, thereby breaking up the network of the thrombus which prevents blood flow. The apparatus includes a drive shaft housing which can be used to withdraw fluid from the area of the thrombus or to introduce medicines, such as streptokinase which will further break up the thrombus or other chemicals such as contrast agents for visualizing the vascular anatomy. The apparatus also includes a shaft housing which is provided with an expanded catheter funnel at the distal end and a venturi insert immediately proximal to the distal end. The apparatus further includes a prime mover which, in addition to rotating the drive shaft, allows for axial motion of the drive shaft relative to the drive shaft housing.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Lucas S Gordon