Eclipse Surgical Technologies, Inc.

Heartport, Inc.

Other

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Origin Medsystems, Inc.

Boston Scientific Corporation

Richard L Mueller

Stuart D Harman

Douglas R Murphy-Chutorian

U Hiram Chee

Michael J Rosinko

Stephen W Boyd

William S Peters

Steve A Daniel

Bruce J Richardson

Brian S Donlon

Michi E Garrison

Alexander K Khairkhahan

Philip Christopher Evard

Steven A Daniel

Richard Dean Phipps

James Raymond Kermode

Frederick G St Goar

James R Flom

Craig L Adams

John Henry Stevens

David W Snow

Michael J Horzewski

Curtis Peter Tom

Tim J Kovac

Robert L Lathrop, Jr

Sylvia W Fan

Kirsten L Valley

Rick Emerson

John H Stevens

Larry Witham

Robert D Dowling

Lorraine F Mangosong

Hanson S Gifford, Iii

Albert K Chin

Amr Salahieh

Daniel T Wallace

Frederic H Moll

Edwin J Hlavka

Stephen A Boyd

Robert F Bencini

Meir H Moshe

Robert LaDuca

Jeffrey J Giba

Frank T Watkins, Iii

Fred G Kinley

S Christopher Daniel

Daniel S Brown

Lauren K Lundquist

Diane E Caramore

Mark Roush

Henry N Padilla

Jeffery A Smith

Joseph Mandato

Robert Lincoln Lathrop, Iii

Methods and apparatus of embodiments of the invention are adapted to treat tissue inside a patient's body. Aspects of the invention can be used in a wide variety of applications, but certain embodiments provide minimally invasive alternatives for treating atrial fibrillation by delivering a tissue-damaging agent to selected areas of the heart. One exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a method of treating cardiac arrhythmia. This method includes positioning a distal tissue-contacting portion of a body in surface contact with a tissue surface of cardiac tissue; detecting the surface contact between the tissue-contacting portion and the tissue surface; and thereafter, injecting a tissue-ablating agent into the cardiac tissue through the tissue-contacting portion of the body.

Methods of treating cardiac arrhythmia

The invention described herein provides for methods and devices for treating tissues, and in particular, ischemic heart tissue. Preferred devices includes tools integrating both injury and treatment effectors in a single unit. An optional third effector provides an effector for marking locations on a tissue surface that have been visited by the device. Methods are provided in which a target tissue is identified, injury sites are created at known locations, and therapeutic-substance is infused at known locations different than the injury sites.

Method and apparatus for treating ischemic tissue

Various methods and devices for treating a patient who has lost, or is at risk of losing cardiac function by cardiac ischemia are disclosed. Treatment includes first imaging a patient's heart, or a portion thereof, to identify underperfused regions of cardiac muscle, and a source of oxygenated blood that is proximate to the underperfused region. Between the underperfused regions and the oxygenated blood source, a target area is selected where thermal or mechanical injury is introduced, and optionally reintroduced, to convert initial capillary blush, resulting from the injury.

Method for treating a patient at risk of loss of cardiac function by cardiac ischemia

A method and apparatus for treating an atherosclerotic target region of a coronary vessel in a patient are disclosed. The method includes delivering to the patient, a photoatherolytic compound, to cause accumulation of the compound in the target region, accessing the target region intraluminally with a guidewire, and advancing over the guidewire, a catheter having (i) a proximal main-body sleeve, (ii) a flexible, non-inflatable, translucent distal-end sleeve joined to the main-body sleeve at a catheter juncture, and (iii) an inner lumen extending through the two sleeves, said advancing being effective to position the catheter's distal-end sleeve within the target region. The guidewire is then removed and replaced by a fiber-optic bundle having a light-diffusing tip, until said tip is positioned adjacent the catheter juncture. After injecting a light-transmissive fluid through the catheter into the catheter's distal-end sleeve, the target vessel region is irradiated by passing a laser light beam through the fiber optic bundle.

Photoatherolytic catheter apparatus and method

A drug-delivery tool and method for delivering a diagnostic or therapeutic agent to a target site within a selected body tissue, such as the myocardium of the heart, is disclosed. The drug-delivery tool generally includes an accessing device having a tissue-penetrating implement in its distal-end region, and elements for delivering a selected agent into a cavity formed by the implement. Methods of use are also described.

Apparatus and method for delivering therapeutic and diagnostic agents

Method and apparatus for treatment of atrial fibrillation

A catheter system is provided for accessing the coronary ostia transluminally from a peripheral arterial access site, such as the femoral artery, and for inducing cardioplegic arrest by direct infusion of cardioplegic solution into the coronary arteries. In a first embodiment, the catheter system is in the form of a single perfusion catheter with multiple distal branches for engaging the coronary ostia. In a second embodiment, multiple perfusion catheters are delivered to the coronary ostia through a single arterial cannula. In a third embodiment, multiple perfusion catheters are delivered to the coronary ostia through a single guiding catheter. In a fourth embodiment, multiple catheters are delivered to the coronary ostia through a single guiding catheter which has distal exit ports that are arranged to direct the perfusion catheters into the coronary ostia. In each embodiment, the catheters are equipped with an occlusion means at the distal end of the catheter for closing the coronary ostia and isolating the coronary arteries from the systemic blood flow. The occlusion means can take the form of an inflatable occlusion balloon cuff, a tapered occlusion device or an O-ring encircling the distal end of the catheter. An optional ventricular venting catheter can be included in the system for venting blood and fluids from the left ventricle of the heart. The catheter system is combined with a femoral-to-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass system to provide a system for cardioplegic arrest and total cardiopulmonary support during minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures.

Method for delivering a fluid to the coronary ostia

Method and monitor for enhancing angiogenesis in the heart by exercise follow-up

The present invention provides a retractor for providing surgical access through a passage in tissue, together with methods for its use and deployment. The retractor comprises an anchoring frame having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening therethrough which defines an axial axis. A flexible tensioning member is attached to the frame, and is extendable from the frame out of the body through the passage when the frame is positioned through the passage and into a body cavity. This tensioning member is selectively tensionable to spread the tissue radially outwardly from the axial axis. Hence, it is the tension imposed on the flexible liner which effects retraction of the tissue, rather than relying on the structural integrity of an artificial lumen.

Soft tissue retractor and method for providing surgical access

Method and devices for heart treatment

Method and apparatus for recurrent demand injury in stimulating angiogenesis

An apparatus for minimizing the risk of air embolism includes an instrument delivery member having a gas outlet for delivering gas into a patient's thoracic cavity. The gas is directed across an opening in the instrument delivery member to help retain the gas in the patient's thoracic cavity. The gas is preferably carbon dioxide which is more soluble in blood than air which will thereby decrease the likelihood of the patient receiving an embolism due to trapped air in the patient's heart and great vessels after surgery.

Method and apparatus for minimizing the risk of air embolism when performing a procedure in a patient's thoracic cavity

An apparatus for stimulating revascularization of myocardium tissue in the ventricular wall of a human heart is disclosed. The apparatus includes means for moving the distal end of an optical fiber element forwardly through the epicardium of the heart and into the myocardium and emitting relatively low power bursts of laser energy from the distal end to form stimulus injury zones that promote capillary growth and tissue revascularization. Each penetration of the optical fiber element may produce multiple stimulus zones spaced radially from or in line with the axis of the optical fiber element. Apparatus for moving the optical fiber element and controlling the laser emissions in a predetermined manner is also disclosed.

Intraoperative myocardial device and stimulation procedure

A method for treating myocardium using at least one mechanical or electromagnetic energy functional device for forming a network of branched, interconnecting passages in a boundary between endocardium and myocardium, thereby enhancing blood flow into the treated zone, and a device for selectively treating ischemic myocardium tissue comprising a tube having proximal end and distal end, and at least one hollow lumen and defining an axis, at least two mechanical or electromagnetic energy functional devices disposed within the tube, the at least two mechanical or electromagnetic energy functional devices each having a distal end disposed adjacent the distal end of the central tube, and a deflecting member adjacent the distal portion of the central tube for deflecting the distal end of each of the at least two mechanical or electromagnetic energy functional devices away from the axis, for enabling treatment of selective areas of ischemic or hibernating myocardium tissue.

Selective treatment of endocardial/myocardial boundary

A drug-delivery tool and method for delivering a diagnostic or therapeutic agent to a target site within a selected body tissue, such as the myocardium of the heart, is disclosed. The drug-delivery tool generally includes an accessing device having a tissue-penetrating implement in its distal-end region, and elements for delivering a selected agent into a cavity formed by the implement.

Growing community of inventors

Byron, CA, United States of America

Richard L Mueller