Patent ID: 8585596

Claim:
A method for using a tissue penetrating catheter device to penetrate outwardly from the lumen of a blood vessel in which the catheter device is positioned, through the wall of that blood vessel, and to a target location, said method comprising the steps of: A) inserting a tissue penetrating catheter device that comprises a single catheter having: i) a flexible catheter body which is insertable into the vein, said catheter body having a side wall, a proximal end, a distal end and an outlet opening formed in the side wall thereof; ii) a first lumen; iii) a second lumen which extends through said outlet opening; iv) a tissue penetrating member disposed in a retracted position within said second lumen and advanceable out of said outlet opening; and, v) an orientation structure comprising an imaging catheter receiving space and a marker, said imaging catheter receiving space being aligned with the first lumen such that the imaging catheter may advance into said imaging catheter receiving space, said marker being positioned and constructed to create, on an image received from the imaging catheter when positioned within the imaging catheter receiving space, a predictive indication of the path that will subsequently be followed by the tissue penetrating member as the tissue penetrating member is advanced from the catheter body; B) positioning the tissue penetrating catheter such that the outlet opening is within the lumen of the blood vessel and the tissue penetrating member is in a retracted position within the second lumen; C) inserting an imaging catheter through the first lumen and into the imaging catheter receiving space; D) using the imaging catheter to image the marker as well as the target location and to provide an image that includes said predictive indication of the path that will subsequently be followed by the tissue penetrating member as the tissue penetrating member is advanced from the catheter body; E) adjusting the catheter body within the blood vessel as needed to cause the predictive indication of the path to indicate that subsequent advancement of the tissue penetrating member out of the outlet opening will cause the tissue penetrator to advance in the direction of the target location; and F) advancing the tissue penetrating member out of the outlet opening in the direction of said target location.