Rail and/or anchor system for transjugular intrahepatic protosystemic shunt procedure

Abstract

A rail and/or anchor system and method for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures. The system includes a rail and/or anchor line anchorable to surrounding tissue or used as a rail, and configured to guide the displacement of at least one of a needle and an outer sheath. The rail and/or anchor line may include a balloon catheter, and a balloon of the balloon catheter may be configured to selectively anchor the anchor line to surrounding tissue by the balloon being inflated, and unanchor the anchor line to surrounding tissue by the balloon being deflated. The balloon catheter can be stiff so that it can be used as a rail even when not anchored. The balloon catheter may be configured for executing wedge venography, and for measuring pressure at a tip of the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated. The anchor line may include one or more hooks for anchoring the anchor line to surrounding tissue. The one or more hooks may be selectively advanceable and retractable.

1 . A rail system for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures, the system comprising:
 a rail line configured for being positioned within surrounding tissue and configured to guide the displacement of at least one of a needle and an outer sheath.   
     
     
         2 . The rail system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon catheter, and a balloon of the balloon catheter is configured to selectively anchor the rail line to surrounding tissue by the balloon being inflated, and unanchor the rail line to surrounding tissue by the balloon being deflated. 
     
     
         3 . The rail system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon catheter configured for executing wedge venography by discharging at least one of a gas and contrast through the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated. 
     
     
         4 . The rail system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon catheter configured for measuring pressure at a tip of the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated. 
     
     
         5 . The rail system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail line includes one or more hooks for anchoring the rail line to surrounding tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The rail system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail line includes one or more hooks for anchoring the rail line to surrounding tissue, and the one or more hooks are selectively advanceable and retractable. 
     
     
         7 . The rail system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail line includes a stiff catheter. 
     
     
         8 . An anchor system for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures, the system comprising:
 an inner rail;   an outer sheath configured to be advanced and retracted over the inner rail;   a needle configured to be advanced between the inner rail and the outer sheath; and   the inner rail including an anchor, the anchor configured to anchor the inner rail to surrounding tissue.   
     
     
         9 . The anchor system of  claim 8 , wherein the inner rail includes a balloon catheter, and the anchor is a balloon of the balloon catheter, and the balloon is configured to anchor the inner rail to the surrounding tissue by being inflated and unanchor the inner rail to the surrounding tissue by being deflated. 
     
     
         10 . The anchor system of  claim 8 , wherein the inner rail includes a balloon catheter for executing wedge venography by discharging a gas through the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated. 
     
     
         11 . The anchor system of  claim 8 , wherein the inner rail includes a balloon catheter for measuring pressure at a tip of the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated. 
     
     
         12 . The anchor system of  claim 8 , wherein the anchor includes one or more hooks to hook onto surrounding tissue. 
     
     
         13 . The anchor system of  claim 8 , wherein the anchor includes one or more hooks to hook onto surrounding tissue, the one or more hooks being selectively advanceable and retractable. 
     
     
         14 . The anchor system of  claim 8 , wherein the anchor includes a balloon and one or more hooks to anchor the inner rail to surrounding tissue. 
     
     
         15 . A method of performing a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure, the method comprising:
 advancing a rail line into a patient;   positioning the rail line within surrounding tissue; and   guiding the displacement of at least one of a needle and an outer sheath via the rail line.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon catheter, and a balloon of the balloon catheter is configured to selectively anchor the rail line to surrounding tissue by the balloon being inflated, and unanchor the rail line by the balloon being deflated; and
 the method further comprises inflating the balloon to anchor the rail line.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon catheter configured for executing wedge venography by discharging a gas through the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated; and
 the method further comprises executing wedge venography via the balloon catheter.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon catheter configured for measuring pressure at a tip of the balloon catheter while a balloon of the balloon catheter is inflated; and
 the method further comprises measuring pressure at the tip of the balloon catheter while the balloon is inflated.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the rail line includes one or more hooks for anchoring the rail line to surrounding tissue; and
 the method further comprises anchoring the rail line via the one or more hooks.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the rail line includes a balloon and one or more hooks to anchor the rail line to surrounding tissue; and
 the method further comprises anchoring the rail line via at least one of the balloon and the one or more hooks.