Patent ID: 7727250

Claim:
A method of performing vascular incision using an apparatus comprising a puncturing and cutting member comprised of a needle with a sharp point and a cutter disposed proximal to the needle, and incision length controlling means for controlling a length of an incision made by the puncturing and cutting member, the method comprising: penetrating a wall of a blood vessel with the sharp point of the needle to produce an entry opening which opens into a lumen of the blood vessel; advancing the puncturing and cutting member in a distal direction to advance the needle within the lumen of the blood vessel in the distal direction until advance of the needle is stopped by the incision length controlling means; penetrating the wall of the blood vessel with the sharp needle at an exit opening that is spaced from the entry opening to define an incision site possessing an incision length extending from the entry opening to the exit opening; moving the incision length controlling means to permit further advancement of the puncturing and cutting member; and advancing the puncturing and cutting member in the distal direction to cause the cutter to cut open the wall of the blood vessel along the incision site, wherein the incision length controlling means comprises a stopper arm with a stopper that contacts, as the needle is advanced in the distal direction, the puncturing and cutting member at a boundary between the needle and the cutter or at the needle.