Patent ID: 8831707

Claim:
A method of puncturing an interatrial septum between a right atrium and a left atrium of a heart, the method comprising: introducing a distal end of a catheter endoluminally into the right atrium, the catheter comprising a first elongate tubular member; introducing a distal end of a cannula into the right atrium, the cannula comprising a second elongate tubular member having a proximal first segment and a distal second segment, a first wire being attached to the distal second segment and configured to resist longitudinal compression of the distal second segment, and a second wire being attached near a distal end of the cannula and extending to a mechanism at a proximal end of the cannula, the distal second segment comprising a longitudinally compressible circumferential portion and being deflectable away from a linear configuration relative to the proximal first segment, a needle tip being provided at a distal end of the distal second segment of the cannula, the needle tip having a lumen in fluid communication with a lumen of the cannula and a distal end having a distal end opening, at least a portion of the cannula being disposed within a lumen of the catheter; and deflecting the distal second segment of the cannula in the right atrium to a deflected configuration by actuating the second wire to exert a longitudinal force on the longitudinally compressible circumferential portion and the first wire resisting longitudinal compression along another circumferential portion of the distal second segment, the needle tip thereby being aligned with a target point on the interatrial septum.