| abstract |
An apparatus for positioning a cardiac lead in the vasculature of the heart includes a guide catheter, a sleeve and a guidewire. The guide catheter has an inflatable balloon at its distal end and a central lumen open distally to the exterior of the catheter for injection of dye or advancement of a guidewire through the guide catheter and past its distal end. The guide sleeve replaces the guide catheter once the guidewire is in position so that a lead can be advanced over the guidewire with the sleeve. |