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Abstract

An improved method of using a single catheter to infuse blood to the heart, clamping the aorta and delivering a cardioplegia solution. Patient trauma is significantly reduced using a single cannulation. A single catheter (10, 90, 92) is used having a unique balloon (56, 93, 102) for occluding the aorta. In a first embodiment, a single catheter (10) is positioned upwardly in the aorta to infuse oxygenated blood into the ascending aorta via an infusion lumen (72) terminating at the distal end (54), with cardioplegia solution being delivered via openings (82) defined closely adjacent the balloon (56) on the proximal side of the balloon. The inflated balloon (56) isolates the two delivery openings (72,82) from one another to facilitate use of an extracorporeal circuit. In a second embodiment, a single catheter (90) can be positioned downwardly in the aorta to infuse blood via openings (82) into the ascending aorta proximate the subclavian artery, and deliver cardioplegia solution via the distal opening (72) downward toward the aortic base. The balloon (102) is preferably filled with a partitioned resilient material (104) to permit varying diameters of the balloon and occlude body passageways having varying diameters and curvatures.

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First Claim