Patent ID: 8556881

Claim:
A method of treating a patient with a calcified aortic valve, the method comprising: introducing a guide wire into a blood vessel; advancing the guide wire through the aorta to the aortic valve; advancing the guide wire through the aortic valve; introducing a catheter into the blood vessel over the guide wire, the catheter comprising an elongate body, a distal portion, a guide wire lumen, at least one deflection wire lumen, and at least one deflection wire residing in the at least one deflection wire lumen and having a distal end directly attached to the distal portion; advancing the catheter over the guide wire through the aorta; actuating the at least one deflection wire; and advancing the catheter through the aortic valve, wherein actuating the at least one deflection wire occurs prior to advancing the catheter through the aortic valve.