Patent ID: 8277439

Claim:
A method of cannulating a coronary sinus of a patient's heart, the heart characterized at least in part by a right atrium including an ostium of the coronary sinus, the method comprising: advancing a guide catheter within the patient's vasculature and into the right atrium via a superior vena cava, the guide catheter including a flexible elongate shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion terminating in a distal tip, the distal portion having a preformed shape configured such that the distal portion of the shaft is supported on a wall of the superior vena cava during insertion of the distal portion into the coronary sinus, the preformed shape of the distal portion lying in a single plane and having an overall length from approximately 4.2 to approximately 11.81 inches and including at least: a first arc segment having a first arc radius ranging from approximately 3 to approximately 4 inches; a second arc segment having a second arc radius ranging from approximately 1.2 to approximately 1.8 inches; a third arc segment having a third arc radius ranging from approximately 2.2 to approximately 3.7 inches; and a generally straight terminal portion distal to the third arc segment and having a length of up to approximately 1.81 inches; and inserting the distal tip into and through the ostium of the coronary sinus while supporting the shaft on a wall of the superior vena cava.