Patent ID: 7837677
Filing Date: 2010-11-23
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A catheter for use in treating a length of a blood vessel together with an introducer sheath having a reference location configured to be located outside the patient, the catheter comprising: an elongated shaft having a distal section and a proximal section, the shaft being sized for insertion into a blood vessel; a resistive heating coil; a plurality of index markings marked on the shaft of the catheter; at least one final marking that indicates a final shaft distance from said final marking to the proximal end of the coil, the final shaft distance comprising approximately the length of the introducer sheath and a safety zone distance on the shaft; wherein consecutive index markings are spaced apart by an index marking length, the index marking length being from about 0.1 centimeter to about 1.5 centimeters less than the coil length to ensure overlap of consecutive treated segments of the blood vessel as the resistive coil is moved via movement of the elongated shaft in the distal to proximal direction along the blood vessel by successive index marking lengths; wherein between consecutive index markings, the shaft lacks any markings similar to the index markings; and a warning section along the shaft comprising a distinct marking different from the plurality of index markings and different from the at least one final marking, the at least one final marking located on the shaft between the heating coil and the warning section.