Other

Expandable Grafts Partnership

Ovamed Gmbh

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Conor Medsystems, Inc.

Richard A Schatz

Alan Saven

Brian M Packard

Robert S Schenken

John N Zink

Jon Kagan

Brooke O Ren

A catheter system includes a positioning catheter for receiving an injection needle into its lumen. Structurally, the injection needle incorporates a plurality of loops that are mounted directly onto its shaft. As the injection needle is moved in a distal direction to exit from the lumen of the catheter, the loops are individually biased to transition from a folded configuration, and into a deployed configuration. In their deployed configurations, the loops create a barrier that is oriented perpendicular to the needle. Thus, the barrier acts to limit the depth of insertion of the needle into target tissue of a patient, to a predetermined depth, and to prevent perforation of the target tissue by the catheter tip.

Injection needle insertion barrier

A system is provided for performing injections in the ventricle of a patient. The system includes an injection catheter with a proximal and distal end. Importantly, a flexible array is mounted at the distal end of the injection catheter and is moveable between a protective configuration and a flared configuration. Also, a needle of variable length is mounted on the distal end of the injection catheter and is covered by the flexible array when the array is in its protective configuration. In order to manipulate the flexible array, a locking mechanism is mounted on the proximal end of the injection catheter for engagement with the flexible array. When selectively operated, the locking mechanism moves the array from its protective configuration to the flared configuration, holds the array in its flared configuration for an injection, and subsequently moves the array back to its protective configuration.

Myocardial injector with spring loaded protective array

A device is provided for performing intra myocardial injections. The device comprises a needle, a catheter formed with a lumen, and an abutment member mounted within the lumen for axial movement. The abutment member is movable between a first configuration, wherein it is substantially tube-like and is positioned within the lumen of the catheter, and a second configuration, wherein it extends beyond the distal end of the catheter and is substantially radially flared. Before the needle is advanced to perform an injection, the abutment member is moved to its second configuration to prevent contact between the catheter and the myocardial tissue during the injection.

Myocardial injector

The present invention discloses a method for the prevention of atherosclerosis, its genesis, progression and restenosis in human patients undergoing treatments for arterial lesions such as PTA or atherectomy, and which may be accompanied by stent implantation. Further, the treatment method disclosed has applicability in all stages of atherosclerosis in which monocytes play a role. The compound utilized in the present method as the active agent is a 2-halo-2'-deoxyadenosine such as 2-chloro-deoxyadenosine (2-CdA). The treatment method of the present invention includes the administration of 14 doses of 2-CdA in the amount of 0.12 mg/kg. One dose is given intravenously before the coronary intervention, another is given intravenously after the intervention and the remaining twelve doses are given subcutaneously at weekly intervals over a subsequent three month period.

Method for preventing restenosis using a substituted adenine derivative

The present invention discloses a method for the prevention of atherosclerosis, its genesis, progression and restenosis in human patients undergoing treatments for arterial lesions such as PTA or atherectomy, and which may be accompanied by stent implantation. Further, the treatment method disclosed has applicability in all stages of atherosclerosis in which monocytes play a role. The compound utilized in the present method as the active agent is a 2-halo-2&prime;-deoxyadenosine such as 2-chloro-deoxyadenosine (2-CdA). The treatment method of the present invention includes the administration of 14 doses of 2-CdA in the amount of 0.12 mg/kg. One dose is given intravenously before the coronary intervention, another is given intravenously after the intervention and the remaining twelve doses are given subcutaneously at weekly intervals over a subsequent three month period.

The present invention is a retrieval shuttle for removal of a stent, medical prosthesis or other foreign object from the vessel of a patient. Structurally, the present invention includes a resilient positioning catheter formed to surround a lumen. A shuttle body also formed to include a lumen is attached to the distal end of the positioning catheter. A flexible bladder formed to surround a passageway is positioned as an inner layer for the lumen of the shuttle body forming a pressurizable chamber between the shuttle body and the flexible bladder. Fluid passed through the positioning catheter pressurizes the chamber causing the flexible bladder to progressively collapse. Operationally, the present invention is advanced through the vessel of the patient to position the passageway of the flexible bladder around the stent or other object requiring removal. The chamber is then pressurized to collapse the flexible bladder around the stent, holding the stent. The retrieval shuttle, with the stent held in the passageway of the flexible bladder, is then removed from the patient.

Retrieval shuttle

A device and method for retrieving balloon expandable stents. The device can be used with a guide catheter having a balloon angioplasty catheter inserted within. The invention includes a grasping device at the distal end of a shaft and a means for closing the grasping device. In one embodiment, the grasping device includes a reinforced tube having a bound inner sleeve, two inflatable inner balloons and a longitudinal slit. In use, the tube can be slipped over the proximal portion of a balloon catheter shaft extending from a patient, compressed to reduce the profile, advanced over the shaft, through and distally out of a guide catheter, allowed to recover the original profile, advanced over a stent, inflated to grasp the stent distal end within, and retracted proximally into the guide catheter.

Stent retrieval device

An over-the-wire catheter includes a catheter that is formed with a lumen for receiving a guidewire therethrough. A slit, which is formed along the guidewire lumen to provide external access into the lumen, extends at least part way along the length of the catheter. A connector, which is formed with an orifice for receiving the catheter therethrough, also includes a grip. In operation, the guidewire is pre-positioned as desired. An end of the guidewire is then passed through the orifice of the connector and is inserted into the guidewire lumen of the catheter. The distal end of the catheter is then inserted over the wire and through the orifice of the connector. Next, the grip on the connector is inserted through the slit and into the guidewire lumen for fixed engagement with the guidewire. The catheter is then advanced through the orifice of the connector and over the guidewire. As the catheter is advanced, the grip slides along the slit of the catheter lumen to maintain a fixed relationship between the guidewire and the connector.

Over the wire single operator catheter with wire stabilizer

A plurality of expandable and deformable intraluminal vascular grafts are expanded within a blood vessel by an angioplasty balloon associated with a catheter to dilate and expand the lumen of a blood vessel. The grafts may be thin-walled tubular members having a plurality of slots disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular members, and adjacent grafts are flexibly connected by a single connector member disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular members.

Expandable intraluminal graft

A device and method for retrieving a stent from the vessel of a patient includes a catheter which is formed with a central lumen that defines a passageway having a diameter. A deformable distal tip is attached to the catheter to establish an extension of the passageway. In the operation of the device, the distal tip is initially maintained in a first configuration wherein the stent can be received into and through the passageway. While the distal tip is maintained in this first configuration, a portion of the stent to be retrieved is withdrawn into the passageway of the distal tip. The distal tip is then distended or deformed into a second configuration wherein the diameter of the passageway is reduced to grip the stent. The catheter and the gripped stent are then retrieved from the vessel of the patient.

Stent retrieval catheter

A delivery catheter for introducing living matter into a body passageway or cavity of a female mammal comprises a hollow, flexible, dual lumen catheter having substantially tubular-shaped collection chamber for holding the living matter. An ejection port is formed adjacent to the distal end of the collection chamber and an actuator port is formed at its proximal end. A guide tube having a lumen, is positioned coaxially within the collection chamber with the respective distal and proximal ends of the guide tube and the collection chamber joined together in fluid-tight sealing engagements. In an alternate embodiment, the lumina are separated to create a guide wire lumen which is substantially parallel to a transfer lumen. Also, the distal end of the catheter is beveled to recess the opening of the guide wire lumen from the port of the collection chamber in the transfer lumen. In operation, the delivery catheter is inserted into the body passageway over a prepositioned guide wire. More specifically, the delivery catheter receives the guide wire through the lumen of its guide tube to advance the delivery catheter along the guide wire. Once the ejection port of the collection chamber is positioned at the desired site in the body passageway, fluid is introduced into the collection chamber through the actuator port to eject the living matter through the ejection port and into the body passageway. The delivery catheter and the guide wire are then withdrawn from the passageway.

Delivery catheter

A delivery catheter for introducing living matter into a body passageway or cavity of a female mammal comprises a hollow, flexible, substantially tubular-shaped collection chamber for holding the living matter. An ejection port is formed adjacent to the distal end of the collection chamber and an actuator port is formed at its proximal end. A guide tube having a lumen, is positioned coaxially within the collection chamber with the respective distal and proximal ends of the guide tube and the collection chamber joined together in fluid-tight sealing engagements. In operation, the delivery catheter is inserted into the body passageway over a prepositioned guide wire. More specifically, the delivery catheter receives the guide wire through the lumen of its guide tube to advance the delivery catheter along the guide wire. Once the ejection port of the collection chamber is positioned at the desired site in the body passageway, fluid is introduced into the collection chamber through the actuator port to eject the living matter through the ejection port and into the body passageway. The delivery catheter and the guide wire are then withdrawn from the passageway.

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Rancho Santa Fe, CA, United States of America

Richard A Schatz