Patent ID: 8900214
Filing Date: 2014-12-02
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Abstract:
1. A method of instrumenting the left atrium comprising the steps of: routing a guidewire into the right atrium from a peripheral vein; inserting a sheath with a pre-inserted dilator into the patient over the guidewire, and advancing the sheath to a treatment or diagnostic site within the right atrium of the heart, wherein the sheath comprises a distal region which is collapsed in diameter, and wherein the pre-inserted dilator comprises dilator tubing, a distal fairing positioned over the dilator tubing, and a fairing retainer positioned over the distal fairing and fused to the distal fairing; performing a trans-septal puncture between the right and left atrium and advancing the collapsed sheath through the puncture into the left atrium; dilating the distal region of the sheath so that the distal region of the sheath is expanded, wherein a full-size lumen exists within the sheath and extending from the proximal end to the distal end; collapsing the dilator by an action applied at the proximal end of said dilator; removing the dilator from the sheath; inserting instrumentation through the lumen of the sheath into the left atrium; performing therapy or diagnosis with the instrumentation; and removing the sheath from the patient.