This technology is an introducer that is capable of effectively delivering medical devices and therapeutic agents to the coronary sinus by being configured to access the coronary sinus from the right parasternal mediastinotomy.
A current treatment for both congestive heart failure and ventricular desynchrony is cardiac resynchronization therapy. This necessitates access to the coronary sinus to allow for implantation of a pacemaker to allow for biventricular pacing. Standard endocardial techniques for coronary sinus cannulation are technically difficult due necessitating a flexible cannula to travel a long distance from the site of venous entry, resulting in a failure rate of 5-10%. Alternatively, a right parasternal mediastinotomy allows for the coronary sinus to be accessed through a right atriotomy, a much closer access point which allows for a less custom-curved cannula which reduces procedure difficulty, however, there are currently no marketed cannulas designed for this approach.
This invention describes an introducer which is custom curved to facilitate coronary sinus access through a right atriotomy accessed through a right parasternal mediastinotomy. The cannula has been improved over previous designs by the addition of multiple channels which could allow for intracardiac echo or infra-red imaging, hydraulic or electrical steering of the catheter tip, and passage of flexible guidewires. Furthermore, accessing the coronary sinus through a right parasternal mediastinotomy allows for larger cannulas, increasing the ease of manipulation for endocardial lead insertion.
This technology has been validated in anesthetized pigs.
Patent Pending (US 20170182287)
IR CU15217, CU14007, CU14193, CU14198, CU16068
Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik