Intracranial aspiration catheter
View Patent ↗Disclosed is an access catheter, having a distal segment which is movable from a reduced outside diameter for positioning at a target site, and an enlarged outside diameter to create an enlarged internal working lumen. In one application, the catheter is configured for use as an intracranial aspiration catheter. Methods are also disclosed.
1. A method of aspirating material, comprising the steps of:
transluminally advancing a catheter to the site of material to be aspirated, the catheter having an aspiration lumen therein;
increasing the inside diameter of the aspiration lumen by moving a tubular coil support distally from a proximal position within the catheter to a distal position within the catheter; and thereafter
aspirating material through the support and the aspiration lumen while the tubular coil support is in the distal position and completely within the catheter.
2. A method of aspirating material as in claim 1 , wherein the material is in the common carotid artery.
3. A method of aspirating material as in claim 1 , wherein the material is in the internal carotid artery.
4. A method of aspirating material as in claim 1 , wherein the material is in the carotid siphon.
5. A method of aspirating material as in claim 1 , wherein the material is in the middle cerebral artery.
6. A method of aspirating material as in claim 1 , wherein the material is in the anterior cerebral artery.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of introducing oxygenated medium into the artery through the aspiration lumen.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the oxygenated medium is hypothermic.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of infusing pharmaceutical agent into the carotid artery through the aspiration lumen.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pharmaceutical agent is a vasodilator.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the vasodilator is selected from the group consisting of nifedipine and nitroprusside.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pharmaceutical agent is t-PA.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of localizing the thromboembolic material with intravascular ultrasound.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of localizing the thromboembolic material with carotid doppler.
15. A method of aspirating material, comprising the steps of:
transluminally advancing a catheter to the site of undesired material, the catheter having an aspiration lumen therein;
moving a tubular coil support distally from a proximal position within the catheter to a distal position within a distal section of the catheter; and thereafter
aspirating material through the support and the aspiration lumen while the tubular coil support is in the distal position;
wherein the distal section of the aspiration lumen increases in diameter in response to moving the tubular coil support into the distal position.
16. A method of aspirating material as in claim 15 , wherein the site is in the common carotid artery.
17. A method of aspirating material as in claim 15 , wherein the site is in the internal carotid artery.
18. A method of aspirating material as in claim 15 , wherein the site is in the carotid siphon.
19. A method of aspirating material as in claim 15 , wherein the site is in the middle cerebral artery.
20. A method of aspirating material as in claim 15 , wherein the site is in the anterior cerebral artery.
21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of introducing oxygenated medium into the artery through the aspiration lumen.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the oxygenated medium is hypothermic.
23. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of infusing pharmaceutical agent into the carotid artery through the aspiration lumen.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the pharmaceutical agent is a vasodilator.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the vasodilator is selected from the group consisting of nifedipine and nitroprusside.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the pharmaceutical agent is t-PA.
27. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of localizing the thromboembolic material with intravascular ultrasound.
28. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of localizing the thromboembolic material with carotid doppler.
29. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of introducing inflation media into an inflation lumen to inflate a balloon on the catheter.