Medical Devices and Methods

Abstract

Medical devices include a catheter, a catheter / dilator assembly, an occluder, a rapid exchange dilator assembly, a funnel catheter, an anastomotic medical device, and associated methods.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation in part of Biological Passageway Occlusion Removal, application Ser. No. 10 / 747,813 filed 29 Dec. 2003 attorney docket number GTEC 1001-4, which is a continuation in part of Tissue Removal Device and Method, application Ser. No. 09 / 819,350 Filed 28 Mar. 2001, which is a continuation of Biological Passageway Occlusion Removal, application Ser. No. 09 / 189,574 Filed 11 Nov. 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,412 issued May 29, 2001, which claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 065,118, filed on Nov. 12, 1997;[0002]This application is a continuation in part of Body Passageway Occluder and Method, application Ser. No. 10 / 765,564 filed 27 Jan. 2004, attorney docket number GTEC 1001-5, which is a continuation of Tissue Removal Device and Method, application Ser. No. 09 / 819,350 filed 28 Mar. 2001, which is a continuation of Biological Passageway Occlusion Removal, application Ser. No. 09 / 189,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0036]The support wire is a dual element support wire having a core and an annular shell that slides on the core. The distal end of the core is attached to the distal end of the annular braided element and the distal end of the shell is attached to the proximal end of the annular braided element. Thus movement of the core and shell relative to one another moves the braided element from a radially retracted position which is useful for insertion into the body to a radially expanded position which expands it to the sidewall of the tubular channel or against other tissue or matter within the body. When the annular braided element is in its radially compressed (smaller diameter) state, it can be passed through or around occlusions together with the rest of the wire to reside on the distal end of the occlusion in the case of tubular channels with occlusions. It is a preferred embodiment of the instant invention that it can be made very small. When the braided element is expanded and pulled proximally (that is, in a retrograde fashion), it will engage the walls of the tubular channel and the elongate support wire can be put into tension. This distal engaging tubular braid element may or may not be covered by or integrated with a thin film or membrane to create patency or other desirable characteristics.

Problems solved by technology

Guide wire management in the operating room is problematic, and threading the needle of the arteries or other vessels including, but not limited to veins, intestines, fallopian tubes, etc. to reach the area to be treated is difficult.

Further, once the guide is in the desired location, it is often difficult to make certain that the it remains in that location.

Even further, once the guide wire, catheter, endoscope or other device is in the desired location and another device is placed over, through or along side it, the initially placed device has a tendency to move due to the forces exerted on it when other devices are using it as a guide.

A device, even though it performs a function in some improved manner, will not be widely used if it is considerably more costly than the alternatives available.

It will also tend to keep cost low.

Often this trauma is not realized immediately after surgery.

Extreme simplicity and a very simple procedure might over compromise safety.

Occlusive vascular disease is a common ailment in people resulting in enormous costs to the health care system.

Sometimes the diseased / stenosed areas of the vessels may be removed by use of Embolectomy, Atherectomy, thrombolysis, etc. or angioplasty and / or stenting can repair the diseased vessel but all of these are not always effective.

Several expensive devices (dilatation balloons, stents, mechanical cutters, etc.) have been introduced to fight this vascular occlusive disease, but none of which has proven to be the ‘magic bullet’ to treat this ubiquitous disease.

Even when effective, these technologies often are effective for a short period of time.

Because of the various problems with all of the techniques and approaches to solving this medical condition, there exists no particular method or device that is considered the most accepted mode of treatment.

Unfortunately, cancer too is a common ailment resulting in over 1,500 deaths every day in the U.S. (550,000 every year; the number two killer in the U.S. after vascular disease).

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