Patent ID: 7976460

Claim:
A method for gaining access to the ducts of the biliary tree via the alimentary canal, the method comprising the steps of: providing an endoscope having a working channel defined therein; advancing the endoscope through the alimentary canal of a patient to a position adjacent the papilla of Vater; providing a guiding biliary catheter having a lumen defined therein, a proximal end region, and a distal end region; advancing the guiding biliary catheter through the working channel of the endoscope and out from the working channel to a position adjacent an opening of the papilla of Vater; providing a pulling biliary catheter having a lumen defined therein, a proximal end, a distal end region, and an expandable chute extending distally from the distal end region of the pulling biliary catheter and forming a truncated cone, wherein the expandable chute includes an open distal end configured to expand radially such that an innermost extent of the open distal end is larger than an outermost extent of the distal end region of the pulling biliary catheter; advancing the pulling biliary catheter through the lumen of the guiding biliary catheter and into the opening of the papilla of Vater; and expanding the expandable chute of the pulling biliary catheter within the papilla of Vater.