402 results about "Embolization" patented technology

Apparatus for protecting a patient against embolization during endovascular replacement of the patient's heart valve is provided, the apparatus including a replacement valve configured for endovascular delivery and deployment, and an embolic filter configured for disposal downstream of the replacement valve during deployment of the valve. Apparatus including a delivery catheter having an expandable replacement valve disposed therein, and an embolic filter advanceable along the delivery catheter for diverting emboli released during endovascular deployment of the replacement valve is also provided. Furthermore, methods for protecting a patient against embolization during endovascular replacement of the patient's heart valve are provided, the methods including the steps of endovascularly delivering a replacement valve to a vicinity of the patient's heart valve, endovascularly deploying an embolic filter downstream of the heart valve, and endovascularly deploying the replacement valve.

This invention is methods and apparatus for occluding blood flow within a blood vessel (22). In a first series of embodiments, the present invention comprises a plurality of embolic devices (16) deployable through the lumen (12) of a conventional catheter (10) such that when deployed, said embolic devices (16) remain resident and occlude blood flow at a specific site within the lumen of the blood vessel (22). Such embolic devices (16) comprise either mechanical embolic devices that become embedded within or compress against the lumen of the vessel or chemical vaso occlusive agents that seal off blood flow at a given site. A second embodiment of the present invention comprises utilization of a vacuum / cauterizing device capable of sucking in the lumen of the vessel about the device to maintain the vessel in a closed condition where there is then applied a sufficient amount of energy to cause the tissue collapsed about the device to denature into a closure. In a third series of embodiments, the present invention comprises the combination of an embolization facilitator coupled with the application of an energy force to form an intraluminal closure at a specified site within a vessel.

Methods and apparatus are provided for removing emboli during an angioplasty, stenting or surgical procedure comprising a catheter having an occlusion element, an aspiration lumen, and a blood outlet port in communication with the lumen, a guide wire having a balloon, a venous return sheath with a blood inlet port, and tubing that couples the blood outlet port to the blood inlet port. Apparatus is also provided for occluding the external carotid artery to prevent reversal of flow into the internal carotid artery. The pressure differential between the artery and the vein provides reverse flow through the artery, thereby flushing emboli. A blood filter may optionally be included in-line with the tubing to filter emboli from blood reperfused into the patient.

Thin film metallic devices implantable within a human subject for occlusion of an aneurysm or blood vessel are provided. The devices include an embolization element that is moveable between a collapsed configuration for delivery to a deployed configuration within the body. The embolization device plugs the aneurysm or blood vessel preventing blood from flowing into or out of the aneurysm or other defective or diseased location of the blood vessel. The embolization element may be either self-supporting or supported by a strut structure. The occlusion device also includes an anchor element for anchoring the occlusion device and aiding in maintaining the embolization element in place. The anchor element is connected to the embolization device via a connector element.

Methods and apparatus are provided for removing emboli during an angioplasty, stenting or surgical procedure comprising a catheter having an occlusion element, an aspiration lumen, and a blood outlet port in communication with the lumen, a guide wire having a balloon, a venous return catheter with a blood inlet port, and tubing that couples the blood outlet port to the blood inlet port. Apparatus is also provided for occluding the external carotid artery to prevent reversal of flow into the internal carotid artery. The pressure differential between the artery and the vein provides reverse flow through the artery, thereby flushing emboli. A blood filter may optionally be included in-line with the tubing to filter emboli from blood reperfused into the patient.

A method for reducing distal embolization during insertion of devices to treat plaque, thrombi and other intravascular occlusions. Using a guide catheter, a guidewire is delivered to a site proximal to the lesion. An aspiration catheter is then introduced over the guidewire, and the two are moved together in a distal to proximal direction across the occlusion. The aspiration catheter is then moved in a proximal to distal direction while continuously aspirating, which prevents embolization of any particles which may be created during the crossing of the guidewire.

There is disclosed a blood debris deflector for preventing embolization during a surgical procedure, and methods for insertion and removal of the deflector.

Methods and apparatus are provided for removing emboli during an angioplasty, stenting or surgical procedure comprising a catheter having an occlusion element, an aspiration lumen, and a blood outlet port in communication with the lumen, a guide wire having a balloon, a venous return catheter with a blood inlet port, and tubing that couples the blood outlet port to the blood inlet port. Apparatus is also provided for occluding the external carotid artery to prevent reversal of flow into the internal carotid artery. The pressure differential between the artery and the vein provides reverse flow through the artery, thereby flushing emboli. A blood filter may optionally be included in-line with the tubing to filter emboli from blood reperfused into the patient.

Methods and apparatus for occluding blood flow within a blood vessel. In a first series of embodiments, the present invention comprises a plurality of embolic devices deployable through the lumen of a conventional catheter such that when deployed, said embolic devices remain resident and occlude blood flow at a specific site within the lumen of the blood vessel. Such embolic devices comprise either mechanical embolic devices that become embedded within or compress against the lumen of the vessel or chemical vaso-occlusive agents that seal off blood flow at a given site. A second embodiment of the present invention comprises utilization of a vacuum / cauterizing device capable of sucking in the lumen of the vessel about the device to maintain the vessel in a closed condition where there is then applied a sufficient amount of energy to cause the tissue collapsed about the device to denature into a closure. In a third series of embodiments, the present invention comprises the combination of an embolization facilitator coupled with the application of an energy force to form an intraluminal closure at a specified site within a vessel.

Apparatus and methods are described for effective removal of emboli or harmful fluids during vascular procedures, such as angiography, balloon angioplasty, stent deployment, laser angioplasty, atherectomy, intravascular ultrasonography and other therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. A catheter with an occluder mounted at its distal end creates an occlusion proximal to the lesion. The catheter provides a pathway for introducing a treatment catheter. Prior to, during or subsequent to the procedure, suction is activated to establish retrograde flow to remove emboli from the site. Additionally, a thin catheter with a distal fluid ejection nozzle maybe introduced distal to the treatment site to rinse emboli from the treatment site. The suction flow and / or ejected fluid flow may be varied in a pulsatile manner to simulate regular blood flow and / or perturb settled emboli into being captured that may otherwise not be collected. The method establishes a protective environment before any devices enter the site to be treated.

There is disclosed a porous emboli deflector for preventing cerebral emboli while maintaining cerebral blood flow during an endovascular or open surgical procedure. The device prevents the entrance of emboli of a size able to cause stroke (such as greater than 100 microns) from entering either the right or left common carotid arteries, and / or the right or left vertebral arteries by deflecting emboli downstream of these vessels. The device can be placed prior to any manipulation of the heart or aorta allowing maximal protection of the brain during the index procedure. The deflector has a low profile within the aorta which allows sheaths, catheters, or wires used in the index procedure to pass. Also disclosed are methods for insertion and removal of the deflector.

An apparatus suitable for filtering emboli in an open surgical procedure. The apparatus comprises an elongated member having a distal region and a support hoop attached to the distal region. A blood permeable sac is affixed to the support hoop so that the support hoop forms a distally-facing mouth of the blood permeable sac. A guidewire is slideably attached to the elongated member. A delivery sheath is provided having a cavity for accepting the elongated member, support hoop and blood permeable sac, and a lumen extending through the cavity to permit the guidewire to pass therethrough. Methods of use are also described.

An embolization device for occluding a body cavity includes one or more elongated, expansible, hydrophilic embolizing elements non-releasably carried along the length of an elongated filamentous carrier that is preferably made of a very thin, highly flexible filament or microcoil of nickel / titanium alloy. At least one expansile embolizing element is non-releasably attached to the carrier. A first embodiment includes a plurality of embolizing elements fixed to the carrier at spaced-apart intervals along its length. In second, third and fourth embodiments, an elongate, continuous, coaxial embolizing element is non-releasably fixed to the exterior surface of the carrier, extending along a substantial portion of the length of the carrier proximally from a distal tip, and optionally includes a lumenal reservoir for delivery of therapeutic agents. Exemplary methods for making these devices include skewering and molding the embolizing elements. In any of the embodiments, the embolizing elements may be made of a hydrophilic, macro-porous, polymeric, hydrogel foam material. In the second, third and fourth embodiments, the elongate embolizing element is preferably made of a porous, environmentally-sensitive, expansile hydrogel, which can optionally be made biodegradable and / or bioresorbable, having a rate of expansion that changes in response to a change in an environmental parameter, such as the pH or temperature of the environment.

The present invention relates to a medical device for placement at a predetermined location within a passageway of the human body, and more particularly, relates to a flexible expandable embolization device which may be delivered by a catheter to a pre-selected position within a blood vessel to thereby embolize a blood vessel or a blood vessel defect, such as an aneurysm or fistula.

A medical device for placing an embolic coil at a preselected location within a vessel comprising a positioning catheter having a distal tip for retaining the embolic coil which when pressurized with a fluid expands outwardly to release the coil at the preselected position. The positioning catheter includes a coaxial stiffening tube and helically wound coil transition zone to provide improved positioning of the embolic coil.

A method and device used for treating an aneurysm or a vessel of a patient. An embolization element that is adapted to reduce or block the blood flow into the aneurysm or vessel, together with a stent connected to the embolization element, is provided. The embolization element includes an expandible member. The embolization element and the stent are introduced into the vessel leading to and communicating with the aneurysm or vessel. The embolization element is directed into the aneurysm or vessel, with the stent being located in another vessel communicating with the first vessel. In this manner, the stent becomes compressed against the inner wall of the second vessel for anchoring the embolization element. In one form of the invention, the stent comprises a helical coil and the embolization element comprises a collapsible framework.

One aspect of the present invention relates to methods of embolizing a vascular site in a mammal comprising introducing into the vasculature of a mammal a composition comprising an inverse thermosensitive polymer, wherein said inverse thermosensitive polymer gels in said vasculature, which composition may be injected through a small catheter, and which compositions gel at or below body temperature. In certain embodiments of the methods of embolization, said composition further comprises a marker molecule, such as a dye, radiopaque, or an MRI-visible compound.

A method and device are disclosed for retrieving embolic coils used for treating an aneurysm of a patient. The method comprises the steps of providing a wire device that is pushable through a microcatheter and has a flexible distal portion comprising distal collapsible arms with a latch member carried by one of the arms. The microcatheter is introduced into a patient's vessel leading to the aneurysm. The wire device, distal end first, is introduced into the microcatheter whereby the arms collapse while they are within the microcatheter. The distal end of the wire device is pushed through the microcatheter whereby the arms open when they extend out of the distal end of the microcatheter. The latch member is manipulated so that it engages an embolic coil to be retrieved. The latch-engaged embolic coil and wire device are withdrawn through the catheter, whereby the arms become collapsed as the arm is withdrawn through the catheter, securing the latch and the embolic coil.

An endovascular device assembly includes a delivery member to deliver the assembly endoluminally to an aneurysm, a detachable endovascular device including a thermo-resistive element to deliver heat to the device by passing a first electrical current through the thermo-resistive element, whereupon the device expands to a predetermined shape. The endovascular device is connected to the delivery member by a detachable joint, such as an electrolytic sacrificial joint that separates by passing a second electrical current therethrough, to deploy the device within the aneurysm to promote embolization.

A method and device used for treating an aneurysm or a vessel of a patient. An embolization element that is adapted to reduce or block the blood flow into the aneurysm or vessel, together with a stent connected to the embolization element, is provided. The embolization element includes an expandible member. The embolization element and the stent are introduced into the vessel leading to and communicating with the aneurysm or vessel. The embolization element is directed into the aneurysm or vessel, with the stent being located in another vessel communicating with the first vessel. In this manner, the stent becomes compressed against the inner wall of the second vessel for anchoring the embolization element. In one form of the invention, the stent comprises a helical coil and the embolization element comprises a collapsible framework.

An evacuation sheath assembly and method of reducing or removing a blockage within a vessel without permitting embolization of particulate matter is provided. The evacuation sheath assembly includes a first elongate tubular member, having proximal and distal ends and a main lumen configured to be placed in fluid communication with a blood vessel. An expandable member is provided on a distal portion of the tubular member and is configured to form a seal with the blood vessel. The evacuation assembly further includes a second elongate tubular member having proximal and distal ends and an inflation lumen configured to be placed in fluid communication with the expandable member and a gas inflator. The gas inflator includes a high pressure gas source and a mechanism for regulating the pressure of the gas delivered by the gas inflator. The gas inflator is configured to be placed in fluid communication with the proximal end of the inflation lumen in order to provide a regulated pressure gas source for inflating the expandable member. A method of treatment of a blood vessel using the evacuation sheath assembly includes advancing the evacuation sheath assembly into the blood vessel through a guide catheter. The expandable member is inflated to provide form a seal between the blood vessel and the guide catheter and a vacuum is applied to the main lumen of the first elongate tubular member to cause retrograde blood flow and carry fluid into the main lumen of the evacuation sheath assembly.

Methods and apparatus for occluding blood flow within a blood vessel. In a first series of embodiments, the present invention comprises a plurality of embolic devices deployable through the lumen of a conventional catheter such that when deployed, said embolic devices remain resident and occlude blood flow at a specific site within the lumen of the blood vessel. Such embolic devices comprise either mechanical embolic devices that become embedded within or compress against the lumen of the vessel or chemical vaso-occlusive agents that seal off blood flow at a given site. A second embodiment of the present invention comprises utilization of a vacuum / cauterizing device capable of sucking in the lumen of the vessel about the device to maintain the vessel in a closed condition where there is then applied a sufficient amount of energy to cause the tissue collapsed about the device to denature into a closure. In a third series of embodiments, the present invention comprises the combination of an embolization facilitator coupled with the application of an energy force to form an intraluminal closure at a specified site within a vessel.

The invention relates to a catheter for aspirating, fragmenting and removing extractable material from hollow bodies, in particular thrombi and emboli from blood vessels, with a working head, which is arranged at the distal end of the catheter, is axially displaceable along a guide wire, independently thereof, and comprises at least one lateral opening. The catheter comprises a flexible feed screw which has a distal end and a proximal end and which can be rotated at a speed of rotation by means of a rotary drive of a drive unit remote from the working head. A flexible tube which surrounds the feed screw and is connected to the working head removes the material or the detached thrombi and emboli fragments. The feed screw is designed as a shearing cutting tool which cooperates with the opening in the working head in order to size-reduce and remove the materials or aspirated and / or detached thrombi and emboli which penetrate between the peripheral edges of the feed screw and edges of the openings. A thrust bearing is arranged between the distal end of the feed screw and the working head so as to axially support the feed screw, and is designed as a disc which can be rotated by the feed screw during operation.

The present invention relates to injectable compositions comprising biocompatible, swellable, substantially hydrophilic, non-toxic and substantially spherical polymeric material carriers which are capable of efficiently delivering bioactive therapeutic factor(s) for use in embolization drug therapy. The present invention further relates to methods of embolization gene therapy, particularly for the treatment of angiogenic and non-angiogenic-dependent diseases, using the injectable compositions.

The present invention relates to substantially compressible, spherical porous embolization particles, including methods of making and using the particles. Further, the invention relates to embolization delivery systems for the introduction of the particle into the vascular luer.

Compositions for embolization are disclosed herein. The compositions disclosed can have a matrix-forming component, a solid-aggregate material, and a rheology modifying agent, wherein the matrix-forming component includes at least alkyl cyanoacrylate monomers, a stabilizer, and a plasticizer, and the solid-aggregate material includes at least a radiopacifier. The composition and a method of administering the composition are useful for treating vasculature abnormalities, particularly when the composition solidifies upon contact with an ionic environment, such as blood.

An apparatus, method and composition for embolization of a vascular site in a blood vessel. The composition is introduced via catheter to the vascular site and activated by an activator introduced by the catheter or external means. The composition polymerizes or precipitates in situ via the activation provided by the catheter or external means.