Catheter and guidewire exchange system

Claim 2

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the shaft; a connector fitting mounted to the proximal end of the shaft; a single, linear longitudinally extending slit formed in the catheter shaft and extending from a location distal of but adjacent to said fitting along the catheter shaft and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft, the slit extending along a major portion of the length of the catheter shaft.

Claim 3

A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein the slit terminates at the distal tip of the catheter.

Claim 4

A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein the slit has a distal terminal end proximal of the distal end of the catheter thereby defining an unslit distal segment of the catheter.

Claim 5

A catheter as defined in claim 3 further comprising an encircling member mounted to the catheter on the distal segment.

Claim 6

A catheter as defined in claim 3 further comprising, in combination: means for guiding the guidewire transversely into and out of the lumen through the slit.

Claim 7

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a guide member mounted on the catheter and having a means for receiving a guidewire and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely out of the lumen through said slit.

Claim 8

An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the guidewire is disposed within the lumen distally of the guide means and extends transversely out of the lumen and catheter proximally of the guide means.

Claim 9

An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said guide means is constructed and arranged to effect such merging and separating in response to relative movement of the guide member to at least one of the guidewire or catheter.

Claim 10

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the shaft; a connector fitting mounted to the proximal end of the shaft; a longitudinal slit formed in the catheter shaft from a location distal of but adjacent to the proximal fitting and extending in a distal direction along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft, the slit extending along a major portion of the length of the shaft; the slit having a distal terminal end proximal of the distal end of the shaft thereby defining an unslit distal segment of the shaft; and an encircling member mounted to the catheter shaft on the distal segment, the encircling member comprising a balloon, the catheter having a second lumen extending through the shaft for inflation and deflation of the balloon.

Claim 11

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the shaft; a connector fitting mounted to the proximal end of the shaft; a longitudinal slit formed in the catheter shaft from a location distal of but adjacent to the proximal fitting and extending in a distal direction along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft, the slit extending along a major portion of the length of the shaft; the slit having a distal terminal end proximal of the distal end of the shaft thereby defining an unslit distal segment of the shaft; and an encircling member mounted to the catheter shaft on the distal segment, the encircling member comprising a balloon, the catheter having a second lumen extending through the shaft for inflation and deflation of the balloon.

Claim 12

A catheter as defined in claims 1, 3 or 9 further comprising: a guidewire extending through the slit into and through the slit lumen, and out the distal end of the catheter.

Claim 13

A catheter as defined in claim 9 further comprising: a proximal fitting connected to the proximal end of the catheter and in communication with the second lumen.

Claim 14

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the catheter; a single, linear, longitudinally extending slit formed in the catheter shaft and extending along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse axis to the lumen through the shaft; the slit having a distal terminal end proximal of the distal end of the catheter thereby defining an unslit distal segment of the catheter; means for guiding the guidewire transversely into and out of the lumen through the slit, said guiding means comprising: a guide member having separate means for receiving the guidewire and the catheter and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire out of the lumen transversely through said slit.

Claim 15

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the catheter; a single, linear, longitudinally extending slit formed in the catheter shaft and extending along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse axis to the lumen through the shaft; the slit having a distal terminal end proximal of the distal end of the catheter thereby defining an unslit distal segment of the catheter; means for guiding the guidewire transversely into and out of the lumen through the slit, said guiding means comprising: a guide member having separate means for receiving the guidewire and the catheter and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire out of the lumen transversely through said slit.

Claim 16

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the guidewire is disposed within the lumen distally of the guide means and extends transversely out of the lumen and catheter proximally of the guide means.

Claim 17

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said guide means is constructed and arranged to effect said merging and separating in response to relative movement of the guide member to at least one of the guidewire or the catheter.

Claim 18

An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said guide member comprises: a body having a guidewire passageway extending therethrough and a catheter passageway which intersects the guidewire passageway, said catheter passageway and guidewire passageway merging into a common passageway.

Claim 19

An apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising means adjacent the intersection of said passageways for spreading the slit of the catheter.

Claim 20

An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the spreading means comprises a spreader member mounted within the body of the guide member at said intersection and being adapted to project through the slit in the catheter into the lumen to spread the edges of the slit.

Claim 21

An apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein the spreader is located at the distal end of the catheter passageway.

Claim 22

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the catheter; a single, linear longitudinally extending slit formed in the catheter shaft and extending along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft; a guide member mounted on the catheter and having a means for receiving a guidewire and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely out of the lumen through said slit; said guide member being constructed and arranged to effect such merging and separating in response to relative movement of the guide member to at least one of the guidewire or catheter, said guide member comprising: a body having a guide wire passageway extending therethrough and a catheter passageway which intersects the guidewire passageway, the catheter passageway and guidewire passageway merging into a common passageway.

Claim 23

A catheter comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having proximal and distal ends and at least one longitudinally extending lumen open at the distal end of the catheter; a single, linear longitudinally extending slit formed in the catheter shaft and extending along and in communication with the lumen to enable transverse access to the lumen through the shaft; a guide member mounted on the catheter and having a means for receiving a guidewire and means for merging the guidewire and the catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely through the slit in the catheter and into the guidewire lumen and for separating the guidewire and catheter by guiding the guidewire transversely out of the lumen through said slit; said guide member being constructed and arranged to effect such merging and separating in response to relative movement of the guide member to at least one of the guidewire or catheter, said guide member comprising: a body having a guide wire passageway extending therethrough and a catheter passageway which intersects the guidewire passageway, the catheter passageway and guidewire passageway merging into a common passageway.

Claim 24

An apparatus as defined in claim 19 further comprising means adjacent the intersection of said passageways for spreading the slit of the catheter.

Claim 25

An apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein the spreading means comprises a spreader member mounted within the body of the guide member at said intersection and being adapted to project through the slit in the catheter into the lumen to spread the edges of the slit.

Claim 26

An apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein the spreader is located at the distal end of the catheter passageway.

Claim 30

A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising: removing the catheter by withdrawing the catheter proximally over the guidewire and separating the guidewire and catheter by withdrawing the guidewire transversely through the slit.

Claim 31

A method as defined in claim 25 further comprising: thereafter providing another such catheter and; advancing said another catheter over the guidewire while urging the guidewire transversely into the lumen through the slit.

Claim 32

A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising: effecting a guidewire exchange by removing the guidewire and inserting another guidewire into the catheter through the slit.