Infusion catheter and method of use
An infusion catheter has an elongate flexible shaft including a wall and a lumen extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The catheter also has a sealing member within the shaft lumen including a wall and a lumen. The catheter also has a slidable, retractable elongate central axis member extending through the shaft and sealing member lumens connected to an end cap. The catheter also has a plurality of eluting arms extending radially around the central axis member, including lumens fluidly connected to the shaft lumen and the distal end cap. A method for treating a thrombus is also disclosed.
1 . A method for treating thrombus in a vessel, the method comprising:
advancing a catheter having a plurality of eluting members at least partially through a thrombus within a vessel at a first location, the plurality of eluting members each having a plurality of infusion ports along their length;
first expanding the plurality of eluting members within a bulk of the thrombus and away from a central axis member to form a spiraled infusion basket and a first plurality of breaks within the bulk of the thrombus, wherein the plurality of infusion ports deploy along the spiraled infusion basket at a plurality of distances away from the central axis;
first infusing a therapeutic agent into the first plurality of breaks and interior portions of the spiraled infusion basket via the plurality of eluting members;
first narrowing the plurality of eluting members within the thrombus and towards the central axis member;
second expanding the plurality of eluting members within a bulk of the thrombus and away from the central axis member to form a spiraled infusion basket and a second plurality of breaks within the bulk of the thrombus, wherein the spiraled infusion basket remains at the first location between the steps of first expanding and second expanding; and
second infusing a therapeutic agent into the second plurality of breaks and interior portions of the spiraled infusion basket via the plurality of eluting members.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of first expanding and first infusing are performed simultaneously.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the steps of second expanding and second infusing are performed simultaneously.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
pulling a central axis member connected to a distal end cap proximally to perform the step of first expanding.
5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:
pushing the central axis member distally to perform the step of first narrowing.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
second narrowing the plurality of eluting members within the thrombus and towards the central axis member.
7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:
retracting the catheter from the vessel.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the central axis member comprises a guidewire lumen.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the eluting members comprise a frame having a shape memory material.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory polymer.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the shape memory material is a medical grade metal.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the shape memory material is nitinol.
13 . A method for treating thrombus in a vessel, the method comprising:
advancing a catheter having a plurality of eluting members at least partially through a thrombus within a vessel at a first location, the plurality of eluting members each having a plurality of infusion ports along their length;
first expanding the plurality of eluting members within a bulk of the thrombus and away from a central axis member to form an infusion basket and a first plurality of breaks within the bulk of the thrombus;
first infusing a therapeutic agent into the first plurality of breaks and interior portions of the infusion basket via the plurality of eluting members at a plurality of distances away from the central axis;
first narrowing the plurality of eluting members within the thrombus and towards the central axis member;
second expanding the plurality of eluting members within a bulk of the thrombus at the first location and away from the central axis member to form a infusion basket and a second plurality of breaks within the bulk of the thrombus, wherein the infusion basket remains at the first location between the steps of first expanding and second expanding; and
second infusing a therapeutic agent into the second plurality of breaks and interior portions of the infusion basket via the plurality of eluting members.