EP0282143A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Catheter and guidewire exchange system
Assignee: CR Bard Inc
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Filing: 1988-01-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-01-05
Abstract
Abstract A catheter and guidewire exchange system in which the guidewire (14) is contained within a guidewire lumen in the indwelling portion of the catheter (10) and with the guidewire and catheter being separated externally of the patient. The catheter includes a guidewire lumen which is slit longitudinally (28) along the length of the catheter. The guide member (59) is carried by the catheter and serves to spread the slit of the lumen to guide the guidewire into or out of the slit guidewire lumen. The guide member may be advanced along the catheter and guidewire in zipper-like fashion so that the proximal ends of the guidewire and catheter will be separated while the distal portions will be merged.
Inventors
- 👤 James Frederick Crittenden
- 👤 Michael David Barbere
- 👤 Bryan John White
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/0169; A61M2025/0183; A61M25/10; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/107
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
54 words
A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the catheter; a longitudinal slot formed in the catheter shaft and extending along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the catheter; a longitudinal slot formed in the catheter shaft and extending along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein the slot terminates at the distal tip of the catheter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein the slot has a distal terminal end proximal of the distal end of the catheter thereby defining an unslit distal segment of the catheter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A catheter as defined in claim 3 further comprising an encircling member mounted to the catheter on the distal segment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A catheter as defined in claim 4 wherein the encircling member comprises a balloon, the catheter having a second lumen extending through the catheter for inflation and deflation of the balloon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A catheter as defined in claims 1 or 3 further comprising: a guidewire extending through the slit into and through the slit lumen, and out the distal end of the catheter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A catheter as defined in claim 6 further comprising: a proximal fitting connected to the catheter and in communication with the second lumen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A catheter as defined in claim 3 further comprising, in combination: means for guiding the guidewire transversely into and out of the lumen through the slit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said guiding means comprises: a guide member having means for receiving the guidewire and the catheter and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire out of the lumen through said slit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the guidewire is disposed within the lumen distally of the guide means and is disposed out of the lumen and catheter proximally of the guide means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said guide means is constructed and arranged to effect such merging and separating in response to movement of the guide member relative to at least one of the guidewire or the catheter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said guide member comprises: a body having a guidewire passageway extending therethrough and a catheter passageway which intersects the guidewire passageway, said catheter passageway and guidewire passageway, merging into a common passageway.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 12 further comprising means adjacent the intersection of said passageways for spreading the slit of the catheter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the spreading means comprises a spreader member mounted within the body of the guide member at said intersection and being adapted to project through the slit in the catheter into the lumen to spread the edges of the slit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein the spreader is located at the distal end of the catheter passageway.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
66 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a guide member mounted on the catheter and having a means for receiving a guidewire and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire out of the lumen through said slit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the guidewire is disposed within the lumen distally of the guide means and is disposed out of the lumen and catheter proximally of the guide means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said guide means is constructed and arranged to effect such merging and separating in response to movement of the guide member relative to at least one of the guidewire or catheter.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein the guide member comprises: a body having a guide wire passageway extending therethrough and a catheter passageway which intersects the guidewire passageway, the catheter passageway and guidewire passageway merging into a common passageway.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 19 further comprising means adjacent the intersection of said passageways for spreading the slit of the catheter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein the spreading means comprises a spreader member mounted within the body of the guide member at said intersection and being adapted to project through the slit in the catheter into the lumen to spread the edges of the slit.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein the spreader is located at the distal end of the catheter passageway.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
78 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 13 or 22 further comprising: a tubular member mounted in the guide member adjacent the intersection of the passageways and having a distal end extending toward the common passageway, the tubular member being smaller in diameter than the common passageway to enable the guidewire lumen of the catheter to wrap about the tubular member, the tubular member being disposed to receive and guide the guidewire into the guidewire lumen of the catheter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method for placing a catheter in a patient comprising: providing a catheter as defined in claim 1; placing a guidewire in the patient; advancing the catheter over the guidewire while urging the guidewire transversely into the lumen through the slit.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising: removing the catheter by withdrawing the catheter proximally over the guidewire and separating the guidewire and catheter by withdrawing the guidewire transversely through the slit.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined in claim 25 further comprising: thereafter providing another catheter as defined in claim 1 and repeating the steps defined in claim 24.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising: effecting a guidewire exchange by removing the guidewire and inserting another guidewire into the catheter through the slit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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