Delivery system and method for expandable intracorporeal device
View Patent ↗A catheter for delivery of an expandable intracorporeal device and method of using the catheter. The catheter may have an elongate shaft with a proximal section, distal section, proximal end and distal end. The distal section has a radially expandable shear barrier which is at least partially radially constrained by an outer radially constraining section. An expandable intracorporeal device, specifically an expandable endovascular graft, is disposed within an inner space within the radially expandable shear barrier. The catheter is guided to a desired site within a patient's body and the radial constraint of the outer radially constraining section is at least partially removed from the radially expandable shear barrier so as to allow the shear barrier and expandable intracorporeal device to expand and deploy. Typically, the radial constraint of the outer radially constraining section is carried out by relative axial movement between the outer radially constraining section and the radially expandable shear barrier.
1. A method for deploying an expandable intracorporeal device within a patient's body comprising:
providing a catheter system including:
an elongate shaft having a proximal section, a distal section, a proximal end and a distal end,
the distal section of the elongate shaft comprising a radially expandable shear barrier disposed about an inner space configured to accept the expandable intracorporeal device in a collapsed state, the radially expandable shear barrier comprising a slitted tubular section,
an outer radially constraining section which is disposed about and radially constrains at least a portion of the radially expandable shear barrier, and
the expandable intracorporeal device disposed within the inner space of the radially expandable shear barrier;
introducing the distal end of the catheter system into the patient's body;
advancing the catheter system to a desired site within the patient's body; and
initiating relative axial movement between the radially expandable shear barrier and the outer constraining section to a least partially remove the radial constraint on the radially expandable shear barrier sufficiently for the expandable intracorporeal device to expand and deploy at the desired site,
wherein the outer radially constraining section comprises an outer tubular section and the expandable intracorporeal device comprises an expandable endovascular graft having an expandable anchor portion disposed within an inner lumen of the outer tubular section distal of a distal end of the slitted tubular section prior to initiation of relative axial movement between the slitted tubular section and the outer tubular section.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the expandable intracorporeal device disposed within the inner space of the radially expandable shear barrier comprises an expandable endovascular device.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the expandable endovascular device disposed within the inner space of the radially expandable shear barrier comprises an expandable endovascular graft.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative axial movement between the slitted tubular section and the outer tubular section comprises axially withdrawing the outer tubular section from the slitted tubular section in a proximal direction.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein a maximum outside transverse dimension of the distal section of the elongate shaft is about 2.5 to about 6 mm prior to initiation of relative axial movement between the radially expandable shear barrier and the outer constraining section.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein a maximum outside transverse dimension of the distal section of the elongate shaft is about 2.5 to about 3.5 mm prior to initiation of relative axial movement between the radially expandable shear barrier and the outer constraining section.