| abstract |
An angiographic catheter (43) includes a relatively soft, tip portion (45) having a preformed curvature, and a resilient body portion (47) extending therefrom having a preformed curvature in the opposite direction. A lumen (49) extends through the catheter for the injection of angiographic dye therethrough to the right coronary artery. The part of the body portion (47) of the catheter which it in the aortic arch of the patient during use has an amount of curvature which is less than the amount of curvature of the aortic arch, so that the body portion of the catheter is resiliently deformed where it passes through the aortic arch. The deformation results in the biassing of the tip portion (45) of the catheter into the ostium of the right coronary artery. Upon insertion into the aorta the preformed catheter is oriented so that the curvature of the body portion of the catheter corresponds in direction to the curvature of the aortic arch, the tip portion of the catheter being disposed above the ostium of the right coronary artery with the distal end of the tip portion touching the wall of the ascending aorta. The tip portion of the catheter is moved down the wall of the ascending aorta until it reaches the ostium of the right coronary artery. |