Cardiovascular catheter apparatus and catheter positioning method using tissue transillumination

摘要

Arterial and venous cannulas or catheters are described incorporating means for tissue transillumination for positioning and for monitoring of the device within a blood vessel throughout a surgical procedure without expensive imaging equipment or ionizing radiation and without inconveniencing or complicating the procedure. Detailed descriptions of particular embodiments include: a single balloon catheter or cannula configured with optical fibers for tissue transillumination, a single balloon catheter or cannula configured with light emitting diodes or laser diodes for tissue transillumination, a single balloon catheter or cannula configured with battery powered light emitting diodes or laser diodes for tissue transillumination, a catheter or cannula with two selectively expandable external catheter valves configured for tissue transillumination, a single-balloon aortic catheter deployed within a patient's aorta via peripheral arterial access, a double-balloon aortic catheter for selective aortic perfusion of a patient's circulatory system, a two-valve aortic catheter for selective aortic perfusion, a two-lumen, double-balloon venous drainage cannula for isolated venous drainage of a patient's inferior and superior vena cava and a single-lumen, two-stage venous drainage cannula for simultaneous drainage of a patient's inferior and superior vena cava. Additional illumination means are described that can be used with any of the embodiments of catheters and cannulas. Included among these is a separate transillumination device in the form of a stylet or guidewire that is insertable into or through a lumen of the catheter or cannula.