TAVR Ventricular Catheter

Abstract

A catheter for positioning a valve during a transcatheter aortic valve replacement is formed from a resilient hollow body conformable to a guide wire when a guide wire is passed in through an upper opening in the hollow body and through the hollow body. When the guide wire is retracted, the catheter deploys to form a substantially straight upper shaft portion that extends downwardly from the upper opening and a distal ring perpendicular to the upper shaft portion. The distal ring approximates the size and shape of the patient's aortic valve annulus. A lower loop connects the upper shaft portion of the catheter to the distal ring. An outer surface of the distal ring is radiopaque, and the distal ring comprises openings for dispersing radio opaque medium used in imaging of the patient's aortic valve annulus. The deployed catheter is retracted until it snugly contacts the aortic valve annulus. The distal ring will be viewed as a straight line when the x-ray C-arm is properly aligned with the aortic valve annulus.

1 . A catheter for positioning a valve during a transcatheter aortic valve replacement, the catheter comprising:
 a resilient hollow body conformable to a guide wire when a guide wire is passed in through an upper opening in the hollow body and through the hollow body, the resilient hollow body deployable to a deployed shape when the guide wire is retracted from e hollow body, the deployed shape comprising:
 a substantially straight upper shaft portion that extends downwardly from the upper opening; 
 an outward curve at which the hollow body curves outwardly from the upper shaft portion; 
 a lower loop formed by the outward curve and an upward curve of the hollow body adjacent to the outward curve; 
 a distal ring formed at a lower end of the hollow body, the distal ring connected to the lower loop by a bend, the distal ring comprising a radiopaque outer surface, the distal ring disposed substantially perpendicularly to the upper shaft portion; 
 a lower opening at the lower end of the hollow body, the lower opening adapted to receive the guide wire as it passes through the hollow body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The catheter of claim I, wherein the distal ring comprises an ellipse. 
     
     
         3 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the distal ring is substantially circular. 
     
     
         4 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the upper shaft portion is disposed substantially centrally with respect to the distal ring, when the catheter is viewed from a top view. 
     
     
         5 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the lower loop extends below a plane of the distal ring. 
     
     
         6 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the outward curve and the upward curve are in a substantially straight line from the upper shaft to the distal circle, when the catheter is viewed from a top view. 
     
     
         7 . The catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of openings extending through a wall of the hollow body, the plurality of openings adapted to disperse contrast medium injected into the hollow body. 
     
     
         8 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the lower loop is substantially semi-circular. 
     
     
         9 . A hollow-bodied catheter comprising:
 a distal ring approximating the size and shape of a patient's aortic valve annulus, the distal ring comprising a radiopaque outer surface and a plurality of openings for dispersing contrast medium;   a substantially straight upper shaft connecting to the distal ring via a plurality of curves, the upper shaft disposed substantially perpendicularly to the distal ring, the distal ring, the upper shaft and the plurality of curves all formed unitarily from a resilient hollow tube.   
     
     
         10 . The catheter of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of curves comprises an outward curve at which the hollow tube curves outwardly from the upper shaft portion. 
     
     
         11 . The catheter of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of curves further comprises a lower loop formed by the outward curve and an upward curve of the hollow body adjacent to the outward curve. 
     
     
         12 . The catheter of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of curves further comprises a bend connecting the upward curve of the hollow body to the distal ring. 
     
     
         13 . The catheter of  claim 9 , wherein the distal ring comprises an ellipse. 
     
     
         14 . The catheter of  claim 9 , wherein the distal ring is substantially circular. 
     
     
         15 . The catheter of  claim 9 , wherein the upper shaft is disposed substantially centrally with respect to the distal ring, when the catheter is viewed from a top view. 
     
     
         16 . The catheter of  claim 11 , wherein the lower loop extends below a plane of the distal ring. 
     
     
         17 . A method of positioning an x-ray C-arm in coplanar alignment with an aortic valve, the method comprising:
 advancing a guide wire into a patient's aorta, across the patient's aortic valve annulus, and into the patient's left ventricle cavity;   advancing an undeployed catheter along the guide wire into a patient's aorta, across the patient's aortic valve annulus, and into the patient's left ventricle cavity;   retracting the guide wire until the undeployed catheter deploys to form a deployed catheter, the deployed catheter comprising
 a distal ring approximating the size and shape of a patient's aortic valve annulus, the distal ring comprising a radiopaque outer surface and a plurality of openings for dispersing contrast medium; and 
 a substantially straight upper shaft connecting to the distal ring via a plurality of curves, the upper shaft disposed substantially perpendicularly to the distal ring, the distal ring, the upper shaft and the plurality of curves all formed unitarily from a resilient hollow tube; 
   retracting the deployed catheter until the deployed catheter snugly contacts the patient's aortic valve annulus;   injecting radio opaque fluid into the deployed catheter;   positioning the C-arm using images of the distal ring.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of curves comprises an outward curve at which the hollow tube curves outwardly from the upper shall portion. 
     
     
         19 . The catheter of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of curves further comprises a lower loop formed by the outward curve and an upward curve of the hollow tube adjacent to the outward curve. 
     
     
         20 . The catheter of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of curves further comprises a bend connecting the upward curve of the hollow tube to the distal ring. 
     
     
         21 . The catheter of  claim 19 , wherein the lower loop extends below a plane of the distal ring. 
     
     
         22 . The catheter of  claim 17 , wherein the upper shaft is disposed substantially centrally with respect to the distal ring, when the catheter is viewed from a top view.