Devices, systems, and methods for organ retroperfusion

1. A method of organ perfusion, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning at least part of a first catheter having a cannula within an artery of a patient, the first catheter configured to permit arterial blood having a pressure to flow therethrough and further configured to permit a portion of the arterial blood to flow through the cannula;

positioning at least part of a second catheter within a vein of the patient at or near a target organ, the second catheter configured to receive some or all of the portion of the arterial blood;

directly connecting the cannula of the first catheter to a portion of the second catheter, while a heart of the patient is pumping blood, so that some or all of the portion of the arterial blood flowing through the cannula is provided into the vein to treat a condition or disease of the target organ, wherein said arterial blood flows through the cannula due to pumping of the patient's heart and without the use of a secondary pump;

regulating the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of modifying the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein to achieve arterialization over time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the first catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the first catheter within an artery selected from the group consisting of a femoral artery, an internal femoral artery, and an iliac artery.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the second catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the second catheter within a vein selected from the group consisting of a distal saphenous vein and a deep muscle vein.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of connecting the cannula to the portion of the second catheter is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat a diabetic condition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the first catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the first catheter within an artery selected from the group consisting of a femoral artery, an internal femoral artery, an iliac artery, an axillary artery, a brachial artery, and a subclavian artery; and

wherein the step of regulating the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein is performed by operation of a flow regulator selected from the group consisting of a rotatable dial, an external compression device, a coil configured to at least partially occlude the vein, and an inflatable or resorbable stenosis.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the second catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the second catheter within a renal vein, and wherein the step of connecting the cannula to the portion of the second catheter is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat a kidney condition.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the first catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the first catheter within an artery selected from the group consisting of a femoral artery, an internal femoral artery, an iliac artery, an axillary artery, a brachial artery, and an epigastric artery.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the second catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the second catheter within a mesenteric vein, and wherein the step of connecting the cannula to the portion of the second catheter is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat an intestinal condition.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the first catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the first catheter within an artery selected from the group consisting of an external carotid artery, a brachial artery, and an axillary artery.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the second catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the second catheter within a jugular vein.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of connecting the cannula to the portion of the second catheter is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat a spinal condition.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the first catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the first catheter within an epigastric artery.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the second catheter is performed by positioning at least part of the second catheter within a penile dorsal vein, and wherein the step of connecting the cannula to the portion of the second catheter is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat a penile condition.

14. A method of organ perfusion, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning at least a portion of an arterial tube of a perfusion system within an artery of a patient, the arterial tube configured to permit arterial blood having a first pressure to flow therethrough;

positioning at least a portion of a first catheter of the perfusion system into a vein of the patient at or near a target organ and directly connecting the first catheter to the arterial tube, the first catheter configured to receive some or all of the arterial blood from the arterial tube; and

operating a first flow regulator of the perfusion system to regulate the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein, while a heart of the patient is pumping blood, so that some or all of the arterial blood flowing through the arterial tube is provided into the vein at a second pressure to treat a condition or disease of the target organ, wherein said arterial blood flows through the arterial tube due to pumping of the patient's heart and without the use of a secondary pump; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of modifying the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein to achieve arterialization over time.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of positioning at least part of the arterial tube is performed by positioning at least part of the arterial tube within an artery selected from the group consisting of a femoral artery, an internal femoral artery, an iliac artery, an axillary artery, a brachial artery, a subclavian artery, an epigastric artery, and an external carotid artery.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of operating a first flow regulator is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat a condition selected from the group consisting of a diabetic condition, a kidney condition, an intestinal condition, a spinal condition, and a penile condition.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of positioning at least a portion of a first catheter further comprises the step of inflating an expandable balloon positioned along the portion of the first catheter positioned in the vein to secure the portion of the first catheter within the vein.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of positioning at least a portion of an arterial tube further comprises the step of operating the first flow regulator to regulate blood flow from the artery to the vein prior to the step of positioning at least a portion of a first catheter so to substantially eliminate an introduction of a gas within at least a portion of the perfusion system to the vein.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of:

removing the at least a portion of a first catheter from the vein after an elapsed period of time after positioning the at least a portion of a first catheter into the vein, the elapsed period of time selected from the group consisting of within 24 hours, between 24 hours and 48 hours, and after out 48 hours.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of operating a first flow regulator of the perfusion system is performed to limit potential injury to the vein of the patient.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of positioning at least a portion of a first catheter is performed to position the first catheter at a location so not to impede coronary venous return; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of operating the first flow regulator to modify the second pressure of the arterial blood to achieve arterialization of the vein over time.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of:

temporarily deflating the expandable balloon during operation of the system to alleviate a localized increase in pressure or edema at or near the expandable balloon an artery selected from the group consisting of a femoral artery, an internal femoral artery, and an iliac artery, and

wherein the first flow regulator is selected from the group consisting of a rotatable dial, an external compression device, a coil configured to at least partially occlude the vein, and an inflatable or resorbable stenosis.

23. A method of organ perfusion, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning at least a portion of an arterial tube of a perfusion system within an artery of a patient, the arterial tube configured to permit arterial blood having a pressure to flow therethrough;

positioning at least a portion of a first catheter of the perfusion system into a vein of the patient at or near a target organ and directly connecting the first catheter to the arterial tube, the first catheter configured to receive some or all of the arterial blood from the arterial tube; and

inflating an expandable balloon positioned along the portion of the first catheter positioned in the vein to secure the portion of the first catheter within the vein; and

operating a first flow regulator of the perfusion system to regulate the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein, while a heart of the patient is pumping blood, so that some or all of the arterial blood flowing through the arterial tube is provided into the vein to treat a condition or disease of the target organ, wherein said arterial blood flows through the arterial tube due to pumping of the patient's heart and without the use of a secondary pump;

wherein the step of positioning at least part of the arterial tube is performed by positioning at least part of the arterial tube within an artery selected from the group consisting of a femoral artery, an internal femoral artery, an iliac artery, an axillary artery, a brachial artery, a subclavian artery, an epigastric artery, an external carotid artery; and

wherein the step of operating a first flow regulator is performed to permit blood flow from the cannula to the vein to treat a condition selected from the group consisting of a diabetic condition, a kidney condition, an intestinal condition, a spinal condition, and a penile condition; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of modifying the pressure of the arterial blood flowing into the vein to achieve arterialization over time.