US Patent 9532785 Method and devices for flow occlusion during device exchanges

Methods and devices for maintaining vascular access and/or minimizing bleeding during percutaneous interventions. The method can include advancing an access wire through a previously placed access catheter in a contralateral femoral artery to position an inflatable balloon on the access wire in a vascular access sheath located in an ipsilateral femoral artery, without using any additional guidewires to advance the access wire. After withdrawing the vascular access sheath at least partway out of the ipsilateral femoral artery to expose the vascular injury, the balloon can be inflated to occlude the ipsilateral femoral artery or an ipsilateral iliofemoral artery at or near the vascular injury.