Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A catheter device for treating a body, the device comprising: a treatment device; a flexible preformed guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end has a changeable curvilinear shape that initially has a straightened form during introduction into the body, and subsequently transforms into a conformal spiraI shape within a body cavity; and a flexible catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two lumens extending axially therethrough, the guide wire is slidably disposed within the catheter shaft and extendable out of a first lumen a guide hole at the catheter shaft's distal end communicates with a second lumen, the treatment device is slideably disposed within the second lumen and extendable through the guide hole to selectable treatment sites such that the catheter shaft is adapted to advance along the guide wire while transformed in the conformal spiral shape, whereby the conformal spiral shape of the guide wire provides: i) a predetermined spiral treatment locus for the selectable treatment sites and ii) stabilizes the catheter device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
A catheter device for treating a body, the device comprising: a treatment device; a flexible preformed guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end has a changeable curvilinear shape that initially has a straightened form during introduction into the body, and subsequently transforms into a conformal spiraI shape within a body cavity; and a flexible catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two lumens extending axially therethrough, the guide wire is slidably disposed within the catheter shaft and extendable out of a first lumen a guide hole at the catheter shaft's distal end communicates with a second lumen, the treatment device is slideably disposed within the second lumen and extendable through the guide hole to selectable treatment sites such that the catheter shaft is adapted to advance along the guide wire while transformed in the conformal spiral shape, whereby the conformal spiral shape of the guide wire provides: i) a predetermined spiral treatment locus for the selectable treatment sites and ii) stabilizes the catheter device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 1 wherein the guide wire is formed at least partially from a material selected from the goup consisting of superelastic material and shape memory material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The device of claim 1 further including advance means for controlling advancement of the treatment device through the second lumen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The device of claim 3 further including a means for holding the catheter device's proximal end.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The device of claim 1 further including a depth stop means for limiting advancement of the treatment device through the second lumen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The device of claim 5 further including a means for holding the catheter device's proximal end.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The device of claim 1 further including fluid seal means for preventing fluid flow through the catheter shaft's proximal end.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The device of claim 1 wherein the second lumen's guide hole is oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the guide wife's axial direction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The device of claim 1 wherein the second lumen's guide hole is oriented in an offset direction to the guide wire's axial direction by a formed surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The device of claim 1 wherein the treatment device is a laser energy delivery device with a distal end having at least one optical fiber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device of claim 10 wherein the at least one optical fiber's distal end has a focusing device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The device of claim 1 further including a piercing means for mechanically piercing a tissue surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of claim 12 wherein the piercing means is attached to the distal tip of the catheter shaft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 12 wherein the piercing means is the treatment device which is an laser energy delivery device whose optical fiber's distal end forms the piercing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 1 further including a guide catheter disposed around the catheter device.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
222 words
A method of positioning a catheter device in a human body for treatment at a selectable treatment site, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a catheter device that includes a treatment device, a flexible preformed guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end has a changeable curvilinear shape that initially has a straightened form during introduction into the body, and subsequently transforms into a conformal spiral shape within a body cavity, and a flexible catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two lumens extending axially therethrough, the guide wire is slidably disposed within the catheter shaft and extendable out of a first lumen, a guide hole at the catheter shaft's distal end communicates with a second lumen, the treatment device is slideably disposed within the second lumen and extendable through the guide hole; b) positioning the guide wire's distal portion in the body cavity so that the changeable curvilinear shape transforms into the conformal spiral shape, the guide wire's distal portion is adjacent a first spiral treatment sufface within the body cavity; c) moving the catheter shaft on the guide wire to a first selected site; and d) advancing the treatment device's distal end through the guide hole to the first selected site and treating the first selected site.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
222 words
A method of positioning a catheter device in a human body for treatment at a selectable treatment site, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a catheter device that includes a treatment device, a flexible preformed guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end has a changeable curvilinear shape that initially has a straightened form during introduction into the body, and subsequently transforms into a conformal spiral shape within a body cavity, and a flexible catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two lumens extending axially therethrough, the guide wire is slidably disposed within the catheter shaft and extendable out of a first lumen, a guide hole at the catheter shaft's distal end communicates with a second lumen, the treatment device is slideably disposed within the second lumen and extendable through the guide hole; b) positioning the guide wire's distal portion in the body cavity so that the changeable curvilinear shape transforms into the conformal spiral shape, the guide wire's distal portion is adjacent a first spiral treatment sufface within the body cavity; c) moving the catheter shaft on the guide wire to a first selected site; and d) advancing the treatment device's distal end through the guide hole to the first selected site and treating the first selected site.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of claim 16 further including the following steps: e) retracting the treatment device's distal end into the guide hole; f) re-positioning the catheter shaft into a second spiral treatment surface within the body cavity adjacent to the first spiral treatment surface within the body cavity by moving the catheter shaft over the guide wire; and g) advancing the treatment device's distal end through the guide hole to a second selected site and treating the second selected site.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the body surface being treated is an endocardial surface within the heart's left ventricle.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 16 wherein treatment is myocardial revascularization and the treatment device is a laser energy delivery device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 16 wherein treatment is myocardial revascularization and the treatment surface is a heart's endocardial surface within a left ventricle, the method further including the step of advancing the distal end of the treatment device through the endocardial surface into the heart's myocardium while simultaneously delivering laser energy.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the step of advancing the laser energy delivery device into myocardium while simultaneously delivering laser energy is preceded by a step of piercing the endocardial surface with the laser energy delivery device's distal end.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method of claim 16 wherein treatment is myocardial revasculaxization and the treatment surface is a heart's endocardial surface within a left ventricle and the treatment device is a laser energy delivery device, the method further including the steps of advancing the distal end of the treatment device through the endocardial surface into the heart's myocardium and subsequently retracting the laser energy delivery device from the heart's myocardium while simultaneously delivering laser energy.