What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for introducing at least two medical devices within vasculature, comprising:
an elongate inner member; and
an introducer sheath having an internal bore sized to receive the elongate inner member;
wherein the elongate inner member and introducer sheath cooperate to receive the at least two medical devices.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate inner member operates as a dilator.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate inner member further comprises a proximal end, a terminal end, and at least one groove extending longitudinally from the proximal end to proximate the terminal end.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, the elongate inner member further comprising a proximal end, a terminal end, and a first groove and a second groove each extending longitudinally along the elongate member.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first groove extends from the proximal end to the terminal end and the second groove extends from the proximal end to a point proximal of the terminal end.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second grooves each extend from the proximal end to a point proximal of the terminal end.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, the elongate inner member further comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end defining a hub configured with a plurality of lumens.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of lumens is in communication with the first groove and another of the plurality of lumens is in communication with the second groove.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, the elongate inner member further comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and a lock attached to the proximal end, the lock being configured to lock the introducer sheath to the inner member.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, the introducer sheath further comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end defining a handle.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the handle is adapted to be fractured into two pieces.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, the introducer sheath further comprising at least one longitudinally extending perforation along which the sheath can be split.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, the introducer sheath further comprising a pair of longitudinally extending perforations spaced 180 circumferentially apart along the introducer sheath.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner member has a tapered distal end portion.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the introducer sheath extends along the elongate inner member to a point adjacent a tapered distal end portion.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, the elongate inner member further comprises at least one longitudinally extending groove and wherein the internal bore of the introducer sheath and the longitudinally extending groove define a lumen for receiving a guidewire.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one longitudinally extending groove permits the inner member to slip off the guidewire when the introducer sheath is removed.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, the elongate inner member further comprises two longitudinally extending grooves, wherein one of the longitudinally extending grooves terminates at the terminal end of the introducer sheath and the other longitudinally extending groove terminates at a point proximal of the terminal end of the introducer sheath such that there is only one opening at the terminal end of the device.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a length sufficient to extend from a cut down in a femoral artery to a bifurcation in the aorta.
20. A method for providing a path to a target site within a vessel using an introducer sheath assembly, comprising:
gaining access to a femoral artery of a patient;
inserting the introducer sheath assembly within the femoral artery; and
advancing the introducer sheath so that a distal end thereof is adjacent a bifurcation in an aorta.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the introducer sheath assembly is configured to receive a plurality of medical devices and the inserting step includes advancing the introducer sheath assembly over a guidewire.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the introducer sheath assembly includes an inner member received within an introducer sheath and further comprising advancing the inner member and introducer sheath to the target site and subsequently withdrawing the inner member from the vasculature independent of the introducer sheath.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the inner member includes a first longitudinally extending groove and a second longitudinally extending groove and further comprising advancing a first wire through the first groove and advancing a second wire through the second groove such that the first wire and second wire are separated and cannot cross or twist.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A dither device comprising:
a mounting structure;
a refractive optic comprising only substantially flat surfaces through which an image to be dithered passes and said refractive optic disposed within said mounting structure;
a control system to provide dithering of said image;
one or more linear drive motors causing tilting of said refractive optic as directed by said control system; and
wherein said dithering is achieved without an interaction between a plurality of optics.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said optic comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glasses and plastics.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said glasses are selected from the group consisting of silicon glasses and germanium glasses.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said linear drive motors comprise linear voice coils.
5. The device of claim 1 additionally comprising a plurality of flexures and a plurality of mechanical stops for said refractive optic.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein said plurality of mechanical stops comprise deformable tips.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein said control system operates in open loop mode.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein said optic is rotated such that electromagnetic waves traveling therethrough are linearly displaced a distance of about one half or about one and a half the distance between adjacent pixels of a detector.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein said optic is rotated about a single axis.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein said optic is rotated about two axes.
11. A method of optical dithering comprising:
providing a mounting structure;
providing a refractive optic positioned such that an image to be dithered passes through only substantially flat surfaces of the optic;
disposing the refractive optic within the mounting structure;
dithering an image by moving the refractive optic via one or more linear drive motors as determined by a dithering control system; and
achieving the dithering without an interaction between a plurality of optics.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the optic comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glasses and plastics.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the glasses comprise an element selected from the group consisting of silicon glasses and germanium glasses.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein moving comprises moving the refractive optic via a plurality of linear coils.
15. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising providing a plurality of flexures and a plurality of mechanical stops for the refractive optic.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of mechanical stops have deformable tips.
17. The method of claim 11 wherein the control system operates in open loop mode.
18. The method of claim 11 further comprising rotating the optic such that electromagnetic waves refracted therethrough are displaced about one half or about one and a half the distance between adjacent pixels of a detector.
19. The method of claim 11 further comprising rotating the optic about a single axis.
20. The method of claim 11 further comprising rotating the optic about two axes.