Patent ID: 6081738
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
A method for bypassing an occlusion in a vascular system, comprising the steps of:providing a catheter apparatus comprising,an elongated flexible catheter shaft having a distal end zone and a working element disposed in the distal end, and wherein the catheter shaft is formed with a lumen that includes a tissue-penetrating wire at least partially disposed in the lumen of the catheter shaft; anda locator comprising an imaging tube and an imaging device operatively disposed therein;placing the working element in the lumen of the first blood vessel, and activating the locator to observe an image of a first blood vessel, the working element therein and a second blood vessel;manipulating the working element using a steering member comprising a plurality of steering wires slidably disposed in the catheter shaft and coupled to a retaining ring disposed in the distal end zone, wherein braid-reinforced tubes confine each of the plurality of steering wires; andadvancing the working element to establish a path fluidly connecting the lumen of the first blood vessel to the lumen of the second blood vessel.