Method and apparatus for placing a medical agent into a vessel of the body

1. A method for placing an embolic coil into an aneurysm comprising the steps of:

providing a delivery catheter having a proximal section, a distal section and an intermediate section which is formed from a relatively flexible polymeric material, said catheter having a first lumen and a second lumen with a side opening from the second lumen at a location within the intermediate section, and said catheter having a pre-shaped retaining wire extending through said first lumen for normally forming the intermediate section into a generally U-shaped configuration;

inserting a straightening wire into the second lumen of the delivery catheter to cause said intermediate section of the catheter to become relatively straight;

introducing the delivery catheter into the vessel of a patient to generally align the side opening with the aneurysm;

withdrawing the straightening wire from said second lumen of said delivery catheter to cause the intermediate section of the delivery catheter to return to the U-shaped configuration at a location proximal to the aneurysm to thereby cause the side opening to move to a position adjacent to the aneurysm;

introducing an embolic coil deployment device into the delivery catheter through the second lumen and through the side opening into the aneurysm;

delivering the embolic coil into the aneurysm with the coil deployment device;

withdrawing the embolic coil deployment device from the delivery catheter;

again inserting the straightening wire into the second lumen of the catheter to cause said intermediate section to become relatively straight; and,

thereafter withdrawing the delivery catheter from the vessel of the patient.