Systems using guide sheaths for introducing, deploying, and stabilizing cardiac mapping and ablation probes

Claim 1

A catheter kit comprising a first catheter body having a distal end and a mechanism to deflect the distal end to steer the first catheter body into a selected body region, a second catheter body, separate from the first catheter body, having a distal end that carries at least one functional element operative for performing a therapeutic or diagnostic function inside the body region, a guide sheath, having a proximal end and a distal end and being separable from both first and second catheter bodies, the guide sheath having an interior bore that, in a first mode of use, is adapted to receive the first catheter body for advancement, guided and steered by the first catheter body, into the selected body region and, in a second mode of use, is adapted to receive the second catheter body to guide the advancement of the second catheter body through the interior bore beyond the distal end of the sheath into the selected body region for deployment of the functional element, the proximal end of the guide sheath including a hemostatic valve to block outflow of fluid from the interior bore during the first and second modes of use, and the second catheter body carrying a hemostat sheath movable along the second catheter body between a first position spaced from the at least one functional element and a second position enclosing the at least one functional element to protect the at least one functional element from damage during passage through the hemostatic valve.