Methods and Apparatus for Temporarily Occluding Body Openings
Methods and apparatus are provided for temporarily occluding a body opening. A method in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention includes introducing a tip of a catheter into the body opening, the tip including a central longitudinal axis; expelling a thermosensitive polymer from the tip of the catheter into a portion of the body opening, allowing the thermosensitive polymer to harden as it warms to body temperature to form a plug in the body lumen, and removing the plug.
1 . A method for temporarily occluding a body opening, comprising the steps of:
introducing a tip of a catheter into the body opening, the catheter including a central longitudinal axis;
advancing a pre-mixed thermosensitive polymer through substantially the length of a single lumen of the catheter and expelling the thermosensitive polymer from the tip of the catheter into a portion of the body opening;
allowing the thermosensitive polymer to harden as it warms to body temperature to form a plug in the body opening; and
removing said plug.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein removing said plug comprises a subsequent cooling of said thermosensitive polymer.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein a subsequent cooling comprises applying a cool material.
4 . The method of claim 2 wherein a subsequent cooling comprises applying a cool liquid.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein said liquid comprises water.
6 . The method of claim 4 wherein applying said cool liquid comprises applying said cool liquid to an external surface of said thermosensitive polymer.
7 . The method of claim 4 wherein applying said cool liquid comprises poking an external surface of said thermosensitive polymer and applying a cool liquid within said polymer.
8 . The method of claim 7 wherein said poking comprises puncturing said external surface of said thermosensitive polymer with said tip of said catheter.
9 . The method of claim 7 wherein said poking comprises puncturing said external surface of said thermosensitive polymer with a tip of a guide wire, a portion of said guide wire being disposed within said catheter.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein said guide wire comprises a hollow wire.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein said portion of said guide wire is disposed within said single lumen of said catheter.
12 . The method of claim 1 wherein removing said plug comprises applying a cold object to said thermosensitive polymer.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein said cold object is a cryoprobe.
14 . The method of claim 1 wherein removing said plug comprises diluting said thermosensitive polymer.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein diluting comprises applying a liquid to said thermosensitive polymer.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein diluting comprises allowing the thermosensitive polymer to dilute with bodily fluid.
17 . The method of claim 1 wherein the thermosensitive polymer comprises a mixture of Poloxamers 338, 407, 237, or 188, or some combination thereof, and water.
18 . The method of claim 1 wherein temporarily occluding a body opening includes temporarily occluding a body lumen.
19 . The method of claim 1 wherein temporarily occluding a body opening includes temporarily filling a body cavity.
20 . The method of claim 1 wherein temporarily occluding a body opening includes temporarily occluding a hole in the body.
21 . An apparatus for temporarily occluding a body opening, comprising:
a catheter including a tip at one end thereof, the tip being insertable into the body lumen, the catheter including a central longitudinal axis; and
mechanism connectable to the catheter and operable by a user for expelling a thermosensitive polymer through a single lumen of a catheter from the tip of the catheter into a portion of the body opening;
wherein the thermosensitive polymer capable of hardening as it warms to body temperature to form a plug in the body opening and capable of reversibly unhardening.