Navigable endobronchial tool to access tissue outside a bronchus
A bronchial piercing catheter assembly used to navigate to target tissue in a patient under EMN guidance includes a handle, a shaft, and a catheter tip. The shaft extends from the handle and includes a proximal end and a distal end. The catheter tip is located on the distal end of the shaft and is designed to penetrate tissue. The catheter tip further includes a base member defined along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter and a trailing tip member adjacent to the base member. The trailing tip member tapers relative to the base member and a leading tip member adjacent to the trailing tip member. The leading tip member further tapers to a distal end.
1. A bronchial piercing catheter assembly used to navigate to target tissue in a patient, the bronchial piercing catheter assembly comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from the handle and including a proximal end and a distal end; and
a catheter tip located on the distal end of the shaft and configured to penetrate tissue, the catheter tip including:
a base section defined along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter;
a trailing tip section distal to the base section, wherein the trailing tip section tapers relative to the base section; and
a leading tip section distal to the trailing tip section, wherein the leading tip section further tapers to a distal end at an angle less than the trailing tip section when measured from a proximal direction along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter.
2. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the catheter tip is titanium.
3. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein sections of the catheter tip have a thickness ranging from about 0.06 inches to about 0.09 inches.
4. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein the inner layer is comprised of a composite.
5. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 4 , wherein the inner layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.05 inches to about 0.07 inches.
6. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 4 , wherein the composite is a braided polymer composite.
7. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal end further comprises a locatable guide, wherein the locatable guide includes a location sensor in operative communication with a navigation system.
8. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein a length of the leading tip section is less than a length of the trailing tip section.
9. A bronchial piercing catheter used to navigate to target tissue in a patient, the bronchial piercing catheter comprising:
a catheter tip configured to penetrate tissue, the catheter tip including:
a base section defined along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter;
a trailing tip section distal to the base section, wherein the trailing tip section tapers relative to the base section; and
a leading tip section distal to the trailing tip section, the leading tip section further tapering to a distal end at an angle less than the trailing tip section when measured from a proximal direction along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter, wherein a length of the leading tip section is less than a length of the trailing tip section.
10. The bronchial piercing catheter of claim 9 , wherein the catheter tip is titanium.
11. The bronchial piercing catheter of claim 9 , wherein sections of the catheter tip have a thickness ranging from about 0.06 inches to about 0.09 inches.
12. The bronchial piercing catheter of claim 9 , wherein the distal end further comprises a locatable guide, wherein the locatable guide includes a location sensor in operative communication with a navigation system.
13. A bronchial piercing catheter assembly used to navigate to target tissue in a patient, the bronchial piercing catheter assembly comprising:
a shaft including a proximal end and a distal end; and
a catheter tip located on the distal end of the shaft and configured to penetrate tissue, the catheter tip including:
a base section defined along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter;
a trailing tip section distal to the base section, wherein the trailing tip section tapers relative to the base section; and
a leading tip section distal to the trailing tip section, wherein the leading tip section further tapers to a distal end at an angle less than the trailing tip section when measured from a proximal direction along a central longitudinal axis of the bronchial piercing catheter.
14. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the catheter tip is titanium.
15. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 13 , wherein sections of the catheter tip have a thickness ranging from about 0.06 inches to about 0.09 inches.
16. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the shaft comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein the inner layer is comprised of a composite.
17. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 16 , wherein the inner layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.05 inches to about 0.07 inches.
18. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 16 , wherein the composite is a braided polymer composite.
19. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the distal end further comprises a locatable guide, wherein the locatable guide includes a location sensor in operative communication with a navigation system.
20. The bronchial piercing catheter assembly of claim 13 , wherein a length of the leading tip section is less than a length of the trailing tip section.