Catheters and related devices for forming passageways between blood vessels or other anatomical structures

摘要

The inventions described in this patent application include i) a torqueable introducer sheath which is useable in conjunction with a transvascular passageway forming catheter to effect precise rotational control of the catheter; ii) an anchorable guide catheter which is useable in conjunction with an intravascular imaging catheter and a transvascular passageway-forming catheter to effect precise positioning and aiming of the passageway-forming catheter; iii) a passageway forming catheter having a torqueable proximal portion to facilitate precise rotational positioning of the distal portion of the catheter; iv) a deflectable-tipped passageway forming catheter, v) various markers and other apparatus useable in conjunction with any of the passageway-forming catheters to facilitate precise positioning and aiming of the catheter, and vi) an apparatus which may be formed within a catheter to prevent a member, apparatus of flow of material from being inadvertently advanced through a lumen of the catheter.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a passageway forming catheter having a tissue penetrating element that is advanceable out of a tissue penetrating element outlet aperture and a signal receiving apparatus, said passageway forming catheter being positionable within a body lumen of a subject; a signal emitting apparatus which is positionable in a target area within the subject's body and which emits a signal that is received by the signal receiving apparatus; and apparatus for monitoring the intensity of the signal received by the signal receiving apparatus; the catheter being rotatable within the body lumen until the signal received by the signal receiving apparatus is at peak intensity, thereby indicating that the tissue penetrating element outlet aperture is aligned with the target location such that subsequent advancement of the tissue penetrating element out of the tissue penetrating element outlet aperture will cause the tissue penetrating element to travel in the direction of the target location; wherein the signal emitting apparatus comprises a signal emitting wire; and wherein a shielding tube comprising an electromagnetic shielding material surrounds a portion of the signal emitting wire such that only a distal portion of the signal emitting wire extends out of the shielding tube.