US 11,950,828 B2
Intravascular arterial to venous anastomosis and tissue welding catheter
Brad M. Kellerman, Escondido, CA (US); David Trottingwolf Aldridge, Laguna Hills, CA (US); David K. Wrolstad, Escondido, CA (US); Mark A. Ritchart, Dana Point, CA (US); Jeffrey E. Hull, Midlothian, VA (US); and Gene Reu, San Juan Capistrano, CA (US)
Assigned to AVENU MEDICAL, INC., San Juan Capistrano, CA (US)
Filed by Avenu Medical, Inc., San Juan Capistrano, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/451,646.
Application 17/451,646 is a division of application No. 16/279,923, filed on Feb. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,172,976.
Application 15/295,781 is a division of application No. 13/763,501, filed on Feb. 8, 2013, granted, now 9,474,562, issued on Oct. 25, 2016.
Application 16/279,923 is a continuation of application No. 15/295,781, filed on Oct. 17, 2016, granted, now 10,231,771, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/596,670, filed on Feb. 8, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0039854 A1, Feb. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 18/08 (2006.01); A61B 17/11 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/04 (2006.01); A61B 18/14 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/082 (2013.01) [A61B 17/11 (2013.01); A61B 18/04 (2013.01); A61B 18/1492 (2013.01); A61B 2017/1107 (2013.01); A61B 2017/1125 (2013.01); A61B 2017/1139 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00095 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0013 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00184 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00404 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00601 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00619 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of creating an AV fistula between adjacent first and second vessels, comprising:
inserting a guidewire from the first vessel into the second vessel;
inserting a catheter comprising a proximal member and a distal member over the guidewire such that a distal tip of the distal member comes into contact with a selected anastomosis site;
advancing the distal member into the second vessel until a distal face of the proximal member contacts a tissue wall of the first vessel so that the proximal member remains in the first vessel thereby enlarging an aperture between the two vessels;
moving the distal member and the proximal member together to clamp tissue surrounding the aperture between the distal face of the proximal member and a proximal face on the distal member;
applying energy to an active heating member on the proximal member to cut and form the aperture, and to weld the edges thereof in order to create a desired fistula between the two vessels; and
using a passive heating member disposed on the distal member to create a heating gradient across a tissue contacting surface of the distal member.