Patent ID: 6970748

Claim:
A method of inserting a payload into a destination vessel of a patient's heart, comprising: providing a payload having a narrowed distal end; providing a guide catheter for longitudinally guiding the payload; providing a finishing wire, comprising: a proximal shaft having a diameter; and a ball-nosed distal end connected to a distal end of the proximal shaft, the ball nosed distal end having a diameter larger than the diameter of at least a portion of the proximal shaft, the ball-nosed distal end sized to interfere with the narrowed distal end of the payload, and a combined length of the proximal shaft and ball-nosed distal end being greater than a length of the payload; inserting the guiding catheter into a chamber of the patient's heart via an access vessel; inserting the payload through the guide catheter into the destination vessel of the patient's heart to seat the payload in the destination vessel; inserting the finishing wire through the payload such that the ball-nosed distal end of the finishing wire contacts the narrowed distal end of the payload; and fixing, while the ball-nosed distal end of the finishing wire is in contact with the narrowed distal end of the payload, a proximal end of the finishing wire to secure the payload against dislodgment.