Other

Frontier Medical Devices, Inc.

Nelson E Gencheff

Carl Christensen

A method of controlling intravascular sheaths including the steps of: a) obtaining a guide assembly having a body with a tubular wall bounding a passageway, the body having a length between axially spaced ends and an outer surface that tapers towards each of the spaced ends, the body flexible at each of the spaced ends to allow the spaced ends to bend transversely to the length of the body; b) directing the guide assembly into an operative state within a human body vessel; c) obtaining a first sheath having a tubular body extending around a passageway; and d) relatively moving the guide assembly body and first sheath to thereby direct the guide assembly body into the passageway on the first sheath and thereafter guidingly sliding the first sheath lengthwise against the outer surface of the guide assembly body to: a) advance the first sheath into the human body vessel; or b) withdraw the first sheath.

Method of controlling intravascular sheaths

A method of penetrating an intravascular occlusion including the steps of: obtaining an apparatus with a sleeve assembly defining an elongate passageway having a lengthwise axis, a stabilizing assembly, and a blade assembly; directing the sleeve assembly into an operative position within a vessel passage wherein an outlet from the elongate passageway is adjacent an occlusion within the vessel passage; through the stabilizing assembly, stabilizing the sleeve assembly in the operative position; and with the sleeve assembly stabilized in its operative position advancing the blade assembly in a first lengthwise direction relative to the sleeve assembly to penetrate the occlusion.

Method of penetrating an intravascular occlusion

A method of controllably directing an elongate device into a vessel network including the steps of: obtaining a tubular component with a tubular wall bounding a passageway and having an aperture between spaced ends; directing an introducing member into the vessel network towards a target site; placing the introducing member and tubular component in an operative relationship wherein at least a portion of the introducing member resides within the passageway; relatively repositioning the introducing member and tubular component by guided movement, one against the other, to place the aperture at an introduction location; and directing the device through the passageway to and through the aperture to the target site.

Method of controllably directing a device into a human vessel

The invention involves a system for the deployment of biologically/pharmacologically active materials in a bodily passage, particularly in vascular wall tissue, in the form of a multi-lumen catheter having several serially situated zones. One embodiment has a dispersion zone adapted to address a vascular segment and having a dispersion chamber with a pattern of openings for deploying biologically active materials supplied through an externally connected lumen. An expandable array of conductor elements is provided in the dispersion zone to apply a controlled electrical field to the biologically active material at the surface of deployment. Spaced inflatable balloons define proximal and distal occlusion zones for temporarily occluding normal vascular blood flow in conjunction with a flow bypass lumen that connects proximal and distal infusion port zones flanking the occlusion zones and maintaining blood flow about and beyond the vascular segment. A control system is provided for controlling operation of the deployment system including flexure of the conductor elements and the electrical input capable of the time-variable modulation of the charge applied by the electrode means.

Catheter system for the deployment of biological material

The invention involves a system for the deployment of biologically active materials in a bodily passage, particularly in vascular wall tissue, in the form of an elongated multi-lumen catheter having a plurality of serially situated functional zones. One embodiment includes an externally accessed dispersion zone adapted to address a vascular segment and having a dispersion chamber subtending a major arc of the vascular circumference provided with a pattern of openings for deploying biologically active materials in the vascular segment and supplied through an externally connected lumen. An electrode member is provided associated with the dispersion zone for applying a controlled electrical charge to the biologically active material at the point of deployment. A pair of spaced inflatable balloons define proximal and distal occlusion zones for temporarily occluding normal vascular blood flow in the vascular segment during deployment of the biologically active materials. A flow bypass lumen connects proximal and distal infusion port zones flanking the occlusion zones and maintaining blood flow about and beyond the vascular segment during occlusion. A control system is provided for controlling operation of the deployment system including electrical input capable of the time-variable modulation of the charge applied by the electrode means.

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Marquette, MI, United States of America

Nelson E Gencheff