BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of a probe with a core in a distal position in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of the probe of FIG. 1, with the core moved toward a proximal position;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of the probe of FIG. 1, with the core entirely withdrawn therefrom;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of a second embodiment of a probe that forms the catheter;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of a puncture site with access sheath prior to insertion of a probe;
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of a probe inserted through an access sheath;
FIG. 7 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of a probe inserted through a puncture having a core moved toward a proximal position;
FIG. 8 is a side elevation view, in cross-section, of a blood vessel puncture with sheath and probe removed
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for locating a puncture in a blood vessel without disturbing or changing the orientation and position of the blood vessel. The apparatus may include a probe having variable flexibility, wherein the probe is rigid during insertion into the blood vessel but is changeable to a more flexible and elastic state for removal from the blood vessel. The probe may include a flow sensor for indicating when the probe is properly positioned with respect to the blood vessel and an electronic beacon that facilitates imaging of the blood vessel structure to precisely locate the position of the puncture. The apparatus and methods are described herein in conjunction with an ultrasound device capable of imaging the vascular structure and sealing the blood vessel puncture. The disclosed embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the scope of the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, but instead are intended to encompass any vascular device or method that would benefit from the advantages described herein.
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a first embodiment of a device 10 for locating a puncture in a blood vessel. The blood vessel puncture is located below a skin surface of a patient and is accessible via an incision tract formed in any conventional manner. The device 10 includes a probe 12 sized for insertion through the incision tract. If a sheath is first disposed in the incision tract, the probe 12 may be sized for insertion through a lumen of the sheath. The probe 12 includes a distal portion 14 and a proximal portion 16. As used herein, the probe distal portion 14 includes at least that portion of the probe 12 that is inserted through the blood vessel puncture during a vascular procedure, as described in greater detail below. The distal portion 14 includes a distal tip 18 sized for insertion through the incision tract or, if provided, the sheath lumen, and into the blood vessel puncture, which may have a smaller diameter than the incision tract or sheath lumen. The distal tip 18 has a rounded or otherwise atraumatically shaped profile to avoid piercing or otherwise altering the blood vessel and surrounding tissue as it is manipulated within the patient. The probe 12 defines a lumen 20 that begins at a proximal end 22 of the probe 12 and terminates in the distal portion 14 near the distal tip 18.
At least the distal tip 18 of the probe 12 is formed of an elastic material. The elastic material has a relatively low rigidity (and, therefore, relatively high flexibility) which allows the distal tip 18 to bend normal to an axis of the probe 12. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic material has a stiffness approximately equal to or less than that of a standard introducer wire having a mandrel diameter of approximately 0.005-0.010 of an inch (0.13-0.25 mm). The probe may be formed of a polymer material such as polyoxymethylene (POM), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyether block ester, polyether block amide (PEBA), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyether-ether ketone (PEEK), polyimide, polyamide, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polysufone, nylon, perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PFA), polyether-ester, polymer/metal composites, etc, or mixtures, blends or combinations thereof. One example of a suitable polyether block ester is available under the trade name ARNITEL, and one suitable example of a polyether block amide (PEBA) is available under the trade name PEBAX®, from ATOMCHEM POLYMERS, Birdsboro, Pa. One example of a suitable polyoxymethylene (POM) is Delrin™ commercially available from Dow Chemicals. In the illustrated embodiment, the entire probe 12 is formed of the thermoplastic elastomer material.
The device 10 further includes a core 30 that is insertable into the probe lumen 20 to selectively increase the rigidity of the distal tip 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the core 30 is formed generally as a rod sized for insertion into the probe lumen 20. The core 30 is movable between a distal position in which the core 30 is disposed within the probe distal portion as shown in FIG. 1, and a proximal position in which the core 30 is withdrawn from the probe distal portion 14. When in the proximal position, the core 30 may still be at least partially inserted into the probe lumen 20 as shown in FIG. 2, or may be completely withdrawn from the probe lumen 20 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The core is formed of a material having a greater rigidity of the probe distal tip 18. For example, where the probe 12 is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, the core 30 may be formed of any more rigid material, including metal, plastic, glass, or other thermoplastic elastomers having a higher hardness than the probe thermoplastic elastomer material. Accordingly, when the core 30 is disposed within the probe 12 and in the distal position, the distal tip is stiffened. Conversely, when the core 30 is in the proximal position, the probe distal tip 18 is in a more flexible state.
The probe 12 may further include a piezo-electric transducer that may measure fluid flow, assist with puncture location imaging, or both. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the piezo-electric transducer 34 has an annular shape and may be molded inside the probe 12. A lead line 36 extends from the piezo-electric transducer and extends externally from the proximal end 22 of the probe 12 for connection to an electrical device that may be capable of receiving and/or sending electrical signals. The piezo-electric transducer 34 may be used as a fluid flow sensor to assist in positioning the probe with respect to the blood vessel puncture. Specifically, the piezo-electric transducer 34 may detect blood flow as the probe 12 is inserted through the incision tract, thereby indicating that the piezo-electric transducer 34 is adjacent to the puncture and the distal tip 18 is disposed inside the blood vessel.
Additionally or alternatively, the piezo-electric transducer 34 may also provide an electronic beacon for use during blood vessel imaging. The piezo-electric transducer 34 may generate a signal that is detectable by ultrasound or other methods of imaging vascular and tissue structure to provide a more definitive and clear reference point indicating the location of the puncture. When the probe 12 is positioned within the incision tract such that the piezo-electric transducer 34 is coincident with the blood vessel puncture, the location of the blood vessel puncture may be more precisely identified. The aforementioned fluid flow sensing function may assist in positioning the probe 12 so that the piezo-electric transducer 34 is coincident with the blood vessel puncture.
While the piezo-electric transducer 34 is described as having two functions, it will be appreciated that it may perform only one of those functions without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various vascular sealing methods, many of which do not use ultrasound imaging, require the practitioner to identify the location of the puncture, or at least the depth below the skin surface at which a blood vessel puncture is located. A fluid flow sensor positioned at a known location on the probe 12 will allow the practitioner to at least measure the depth of the blood vessel puncture below the skin surface. For example, the probe may be inserted through the incision tract until the sensor detects fluid flow, and the practitioner may mark or otherwise indicate on an exterior of the probe a location of the skin surface. When the probe is subsequently withdrawn, the distance between the skin surface location and the fluid flow sensor can be measured to provide an approximate depth of the blood vessel puncture below the skin surface.
The probe 12 may be provided as an obturator, characterized by a closed distal tip as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Alternatively, the probe lumen 20 may extend entirely though the probe distal tip 18 to form a catheter like probe 26 as illustrated in FIG. 4. In either case, the probe distal tip is formed of elastic material that is stiffened by the core 30 when in the distal position.
A method of using the probe 12 is illustrated in FIGS. 5-9. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, a sheath 40 defining a lumen 42 is positioned within an incision tract 44 formed in a patient. The incision tract 44 provides access from a skin surface 46 to a puncture 48 formed in a blood vessel 50. The sheath 40, which may have been positioned in the incision tract 44 for use during a vascular procedure, may remain in place to assist with the insertion of the probe 12. In this embodiment, therefore, the probe 12 has an outer profile sized for insertion through the sheath lumen 42
As shown in FIG. 5, the probe 12 with core 30 in the distal position is axially aligned with the sheath lumen 42 in preparation for insertion through the sheath 40. The probe 12 and core 30 may be advanced through the sheath lumen 42 until the probe distal tip 18 is disposed inside the blood vessel 50, as illustrated in FIG. 6. As the probe 12 is advanced through the sheath 40, piezo-electric transducer 34 may be used to detect blood flow, thereby indicating when the probe 12 is properly positioned relative to the blood vessel puncture. Up to this point in the process, it is beneficial for the probe distal tip 18 to be relatively rigid to withstand any forces that resist insertion of the probe into the tract 44, particularly in cases where the sheath 40 is not present.
With the probe 12 properly positioned, the sheath 40 may be removed from the incision tract 44. This may be accomplished by applying a force in the distal direction to the probe 12 while the sheath 40 is proximately removed from the incision tract 44, so that the probe 12 remains in substantially the same position as it was prior to sheath removal, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Again, it is desirable for the probe distal tip 18 to be relatively rigid while the sheath 40 is removed, thereby to maintain the probe 12 in a substantially stationary position.
After the sheath 40 is removed, the core 30 may be withdrawn to the proximal position to increase the flexibility of the probe distal tip 18, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Increased flexibility is desirable to accurately locate the puncture site. While various location methods may be employed, FIG. 7 illustrates an imaging device 52, such as an ultrasound transceiver, which is capable of mapping the positions of structures located below the skin surface. One example of an ultrasound device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,136 to Weng et al, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As noted above, the piezo-electric transducer 34 located in the probe distal tip 18 may assist during mapping by providing an electronic beacon that is readily detectable by the imaging device and is clearly identifiable on the imaging display. The location of the beacon corresponds to the location of the blood vessel puncture 48, so that vascular sealing operations may be directed to the appropriate area.
Once the blood vessel 50 and puncture 48 have been located, the probe 12 may be removed from the blood vessel puncture 50 and incision tract 44, as illustrated in FIG. 8. Because the distal tip 18 is placed in a relatively flexible state prior to removal, the blood vessel 50 will remain substantially in its undisturbed, initial orientation and location. As a result, a subsequent sealing procedure may more reliably use the previously collected mapping information to target the appropriate area for sealing.
While the foregoing was written with reference to specific examples and embodiments, it is to be under stood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby, but rather they are provided to satisfy best mode and enablement requirements while providing support for any and all claims which may issue herefrom.
Patent Application
20080097218
