The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 19, 2009
Filed:
Aug. 27, 2004
Niel F. Starksen, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Nick Pliam, Kent, CT (US);
Rodolfo A. Morales, Los Gatos, CA (US);
John to, Newark, CA (US);
Niel F. Starksen, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Nick Pliam, Kent, CT (US);
Rodolfo A. Morales, Los Gatos, CA (US);
John To, Newark, CA (US);
Guided Delivery Systems, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Devices and methods for facilitating transvascular, minimally invasive and other 'less invasive' surgical procedures generally include a sheath with an expandable balloon at the distal end, an inflation lumen for expanding the balloon, and a device passage lumen for allowing passage of one or more surgical instruments. The sheath is configured to house at least one visualization device such that an optical element of the device is positioned to view the surgical site. In some embodiments, instruments may be passed through the sheath, with the distal balloon partially or fully circumscribing or encircling the instruments. Any suitable instrument(s) may be passed through sheaths of the invention, such as a surgical clip applier for repairing a heart valve, an ablation member for treating atrial fibrillation, one or more pacemaker leads, a coronary sinus access device or the like.