Patent ID: 7717899
Filing Date: 2010-05-18
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A catheter assembly for cannulating the coronary sinus of a patient's heart from the right atrium, comprising: an outer catheter comprising an open lumen and a pre-formed distal end having a plurality of curved sections and a generally straight distal tip section, all of the curved sections in the pre-formed distal end being oriented so as to assume the same general direction of curvature, the generally straight distal tip section extending from a distal-most curved section in a direction defined by the curvature of the distal-most curved section; an inner catheter comprising an open lumen and a pre-formed distal end having an open distal tip, the pre-formed distal end including at least two adjacent longitudinal sections of varying stiffness and a stiffness transition region between the at least two adjacent longitudinal sections of varying stiffness, at least a portion of the inner catheter including a braid covered by an exterior jacket, the inner catheter movably disposed within the open lumen of the outer catheter, the pre-formed distal end of the inner catheter being more flexible than the pre-formed distal end of the outer catheter, and the pre-formed distal end of the inner catheter extendable beyond the preformed distal end of the outer catheter; and a proximal mechanism for axially rotating the outer catheter relative to the inner catheter and longitudinally translating the inner catheter relative to the outer catheter, an orientation of the pre-formed distal end of the outer catheter relative to the pre-formed distal end of the inner catheter modified by relative axial rotation and relative longitudinal translation between the outer and inner catheters such that one or both of a bend radius and a bend angle of the pre-formed distal end of the outer catheter is modified and a distal end of the catheter assembly can assume a selectable plurality of multidimensional shapes appropriate for accessing the coronary sinus.