DIRECTIONAL STENT FOR ACCESSING EXTRAVASCULAR SPACES

1 . A neurovascular surgical method, comprising:

deploying a directional stent in a venous sinus of a patient via the patient's venous system; and

navigating a catheter via the patient's venous system through the venous sinus so that a distal end portion of the catheter is inserted through a proximal end opening of the stent, wherein one or more internal structural members of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter towards a wall of the venous sinus as the distal end portion of the catheter is inserted through the stent.

2 . The neurovascular surgical method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more internal structural members of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter out a distal end opening of the stent.

3 . The neurovascular surgical method of claim 1 , wherein the stent defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the one or more internal structural members of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter through an opening in the sidewall of the stent as the distal end portion of the catheter is inserted through the stent.

4 . The neurovascular surgical method of claim 1 , further comprising navigating a tissue penetrating element out of a distal end opening of the catheter through the wall of the venous sinus.

5 . The neurovascular venous access system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more internal structures of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter through a sidewall opening of the stent such that the tissue penetrating element passes through the wall of the venous sinus at an angle that is approximately 45° relative to a longitudinal axis of the stent.

6 . The neurovascular venous access system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more internal structures of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter through a sidewall opening of the stent such that the tissue penetrating element passes through the wall of the venous sinus at an angle that is approximately 90° relative to a longitudinal axis of the stent.

7 . An extravascular access method, comprising:

deploying a directional stent in a blood vessel of a patient's vasculature;

navigating a catheter through the blood vessel so that a distal end portion of the catheter is inserted through a proximal end opening of the stent, wherein the stent comprises one or more internal structural members configured to deflect the distal end portion of the catheter towards a wall of the blood vessel as the distal end portion of the catheter is inserted through the stent; and

advancing the catheter so that the one or more internal structure members deflect the catheter distal end portion at an angle at least five degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the stent.

8 . The extravascular access method of claim 7 , further comprising advancing the catheter distal end portion through the blood vessel wall into an extravascular space of the patient.

9 . The extravascular access method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more internal structural members of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter out a distal end opening of the stent.

10 . The extravascular access method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more internal structural members of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter through an opening in the sidewall of the stent.

11 . The extravascular access method of claim 7 , further comprising navigating a tissue penetrating element out of a distal end opening of the catheter through the wall of the blood vessel.

12 . The extravascular access method of claim 8 , further comprising administering a therapeutic agent from the catheter into the extravascular space.

13 . An extravascular access system, comprising:

a tubular stent configured to be deployed in a body lumen, the tubular stent having

a sidewall defining a lumen, a proximal end opening, and an internal scaffolding disposed in the lumen and comprising one or more internal structural members,

wherein when the tubular stent is deployed in the body lumen, and a distal end portion of a catheter is inserted into the proximal end opening of the tubular stent, the one or more internal structural members of the stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter towards a wall of the body lumen,

wherein the tubular stent defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the one or more internal structural members of the tubular stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter through an opening in the sidewall of the tubular stent, and

wherein the one or more internal structural members of the tubular stent deflect the distal end portion of the catheter through the sidewall opening of the tubular stent at an angle that is at least 5° relative to the longitudinal axis of the tubular stent.

14 . The extravascular access system of 13 , wherein the one or more internal structural members comprise a plurality of wires and a plurality of directional loops, wherein each directional loop of the plurality of directional loops is fixedly coupled to at least one wire and respectively angularly oriented to deflect the distal end portion of the catheter towards the wall of the body lumen.

15 . The extravascular access system of 14 , the tubular stent defining a longitudinal axis, wherein each directional loop is oriented at a different angle relative to the longitudinal axis so that the distal end portion of the catheter is deflected towards the wall of the body lumen.

16 . The extravascular access system of 15 , wherein a plane of a first loop is parallel to a plane of the proximal end opening of the tubular stent, and a plane of a second loop located distally of the first loop is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the tubular stent.

17 . The extravascular access system of 16 , wherein a plane of a third loop located distally of the second loop is perpendicular to the plane of the first loop and the plane of the proximal end opening of the tubular stent.