Guiding catheter with resiliently compressible occluder

Abstract

A guiding catheter for providing proximal occlusion while intubating a branch vessel lumen in a patient. The catheter comprises an elongate hollow shaft having open proximal and distal ends and a resiliently compressible occluder fixed about the shaft adjacent the distal end, the occluder having a relaxed shape that tapers distally from a major diameter greater than a diameter of the vessel lumen. The occluder may comprise elastic foam material or an impermeable flexible cover clingingly enclosing a resilient support member.

1 . A guiding catheter for intubating a branch vessel in a patient, the vessel having an ostium, a lumen and a lumen wall, the catheter comprising: 
 an elongate hollow shaft having open proximal and distal ends; and    a resiliently compressible occluder sealingly fixed about the shaft adjacent the distal end and having a relaxed size and shape including a major diameter adapted to be wedged past the vessel ostium into the lumen to provide sealing engagement with the lumen wall, the occluder lacking fluid or mechanical actuation from the shaft proximal end.    
   
   
       2 . The guiding catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the relaxed shape of the occluder tapers distally from the major diameter and is asymmetrically biconical, conical, ellipsoidal, symmetrically biconical, or ovoidal.  
   
   
       3 . The guiding catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the occluder comprises an elastic foam material.  
   
   
       4 . The guiding catheter of  claim 3 , wherein the elastic foam material is latex, silicone elastomer, butadiene/acrylonitride copolymers, copolyesters, ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) polymers, ethylene/acrylic copolymers, ethylene/propylene copolymers, polyalkylacrylate polymers, polybutadiene, polybutylene, polyethylene, polyisobutylene, polyisoprene, polyurethane, styrenebutadiene copolymers, or styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene.  
   
   
       5 . The guiding catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the occluder comprises a resilient support member clingingly enclosed by an impermeable flexible cover.  
   
   
       6 . The guiding catheter of  claim 5 , wherein the flexible cover comprises a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of latex, silicone elastomer, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, butadiene/acrylonitride copolymers, copolyesters, ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) polymers, ethylene/acrylic copolymers, ethylene/propylene copolymers, polyalkylacrylate polymers, polyamide, polybutadiene, polybutylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyisobutylene, polyisoprene, polyolefin, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, styrenebutadiene copolymers, or styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene.  
   
   
       7 . The guiding catheter of  claim 5 , wherein the flexible cover has proximal and distal ends, the cover proximal end being sealingly attached to the catheter shaft.  
   
   
       8 . The guiding catheter of  claim 5 , wherein the resilient support member comprises a tubular body having a plurality of struts generated by a plurality of longitudinal slits, the plurality of struts being pre-formed in the relaxed size and shape of the occluder.  
   
   
       9 . The guiding catheter of  claim 8 , wherein the tubular body is a high-modulus thermoplastic or thermo-set plastic, nitinol (TiNi), stainless steel or a work-hardenable super alloy comprising nickel, cobalt, chromium and molybdenum.  
   
   
       10 . The guiding catheter of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of struts extends between proximal and distal ends of the tubular body.  
   
   
       11 . The guiding catheter of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the proximal and distal ends of the tubular body is intact and slidably mounted on the catheter shaft.  
   
   
       12 . The guiding catheter of  claim 10 , wherein the cover proximal end is sealingly attached to the tubular body proximal end.  
   
   
       13 . The guiding catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, polyethylene, polyethylene block amide copolymer, polyolefin, polypropylene and polyurethane.  
   
   
       14 . The guiding catheter of  claim 1 , wherein a distal region of the shaft is pre-formed into a curvilinear shape.  
   
   
       15 . The guiding catheter of  claim 1  further comprising a connector fitting coupled to the shaft proximal end.  
   
   
       16 . A method of using a guiding catheter comprising: 
 providing a guiding catheter in accordance with  claim 1;     inserting the catheter shaft distal end into a vascular system of the patient;    advancing the catheter shaft distal end to the branch vessel in the patient;    intubating the vessel with the catheter shaft distal end;    wedging the compressible occluder into the vessel lumen; and    passing the major diameter of the occluder beyond the vessel ostium and into sealing engagement with the wall of the vessel lumen to provide occlusion of blood flowing there through.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 inserting an introducer sheath into the vascular system of the patient, and wherein inserting the catheter shaft distal end further comprises wedging the compressible occluder through the introducer sheath.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein advancing the catheter shaft distal end to a branch vessel in the patient further comprises: 
 allowing the resilient support member to resume the relaxed shape thereof.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 inserting a therapeutic device through the guiding catheter; and    operating the therapeutic device to treat the patient from within the branch vessel.    
   
   
       20 . The method if  claim 19 , wherein the therapeutic device is an angioplasty catheter and operating the therapeutic device comprises inflating a balloon to dilate a stenosis in the vessel.