Patent ID: 6860876

Claim:
A versatile guiding catheter device comprising: a flexible catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a central lumen open at both of the ends; a flexible sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, the sleeve being secured to the catheter body so as to define a secondary lumen between the sleeve and the catheter body, and the distal end of the sleeve being secured to the catheter body at a position proximal the distal end of the catheter body; and an anchor shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the anchor shaft extending through the secondary lumen, the distal end being fixedly attached to the catheter body between the distal end of the catheter body and the distal end of the sleeve to form a hinge point about which the distal position of the anchor shaft can rotate with respect to the catheter body; wherein the proximal end of the anchor shaft can be reversibly advanced toward the distal ends of the anchor shaft and catheter body to cause the distal end portion of the anchor shaft to bow away from the catheter body in the region between the hinge point and the distal end of the sleeve, forming a loop, said distal end of the sleeve remaining secured to the catheter body.