| 摘要 |
<p>A method for placing various types of catheters into the pericardial space takes advantage of the fact that the right auricle is a thin-walled, low-pressure structure which can be readily penetrated without damaging the pericardium or the epicardium. The method avoids surgical trauma and the risks of general anesthesia and infection. A catheter (202) is guided downstream through one of the venae cavae (204) to the right atrium (110). Once inside the right atrium (110), the catheter is passed into the right auricle (108). The wall at the apex (112) of the right auricle (108) is then pierced to gain access to the pericardial space (106). The method can be used to provide electrical stimuli to the heart, to pick up an ECG signal, to deliver pharmacologic agents to the heart, to improve vascularization, to remove pericardial fluid for analysis or pericardiocentesis, or to inject a radio-labelled or echo-sensitive dye into the pericardial space for precision fluid imaging.</p> |
