EP0600676A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Steerable catheter with adjustable bend location and/or radius and method
Assignee: Cardiac Pathways Corp
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Filing: 1993-11-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-11-26
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to a steerable catheter (21) comprising a flexible elongate tubular member (22) having proximal (23) and distal (24) extremities, a handle (27) secured to the proximal extremity (23), said tubular member (22) having a lumen (31-37) extending therethrough, a mandrel (41,42,43) slidably mounted in the lumen (31-37) and extending into the distal extremity (24) and means (56) extending through the tubular member (22) for causing a bending of the distal extremity (24) with respect to the mandrel (41,42,43) disposed therein.
Inventors
- 👤 Mir A. Imran
- 👤 Mark L. Pomeranz
- 👤 Brian A. Glynn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:35
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/0105; A61M25/0133; A61M25/0158; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1492; A61M25/0136; A61M25/0144; A61M25/0147; A61B17/00; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00292; A61B2017/003; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/00867; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00345; A61B2018/00351; A61B2018/00571; A61B2018/00577; A61B2018/0091; A61B2018/00916; A61B2018/0094; A61B2018/00946; A61B18/1206; A61B2018/1246; A61B2018/1253; A61B2018/1467
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
A steerable catheter comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities, a handle secured to the proximal extremity, said tubular member having a lumen extending therethrough, a mandrel slidably mounted in the lumen and extending into the distal extremity and means extending through the tubular member for causing bending of the distal extremity with respect to the mandrel disposed therein.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
42 words
A catheter as in Claim 1 together with means carried by the handle for moving the mandrel longitudinally of the flexible elongate member to cause bends of different radii to be formed in the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A catheter as in Claim 1 wherein said mandrel has a portion of reduced stiffness so that the bend location can be selected depending upon the position of the region of reduced thickness.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A catheter as in Claim 1 together with memory means carried by the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member having a memory which wishes to assume a straight shape to aid in returning the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member to a straight shape when the pull wire is released.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
181 words
A steerable catheter comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities, a handle secured to the proximal extremity, said flexible elongate tubular member comprising an inner shaft having at least one lumen extending therethrough, a coaxial sleeve mounted on the shaft, at least a portion of said shaft having a twist provided therein and a means for securing said sleeve to said shaft at opposite ends of said portion to retain said twist in said shaft, a pull wire extending through said at least one lumen and connected to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member and means carried by the handle and secured to the pull wire for retracting and advancing said pull wire, said sleeve being formed of a material having good torque transmitting properties, said pull wire being used for placing a bend in the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said twist in said portion of said shaft serving to prevent the pull wire from selecting a preferred orientation when said portion of the shaft is formed into a bend.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
In a steerable catheter having an adjustable bend location, a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities, a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart flexible elements disposed in the distal extremity for causing bending of the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and movable means disposed at the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member for selecting the location in the distal extremity where bending is to occur to thereby adjust the length of the flexible elongate member which extends beyond the bend.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
81 words
A catheter as in Claim 6 wherein said movable means is in the form of a shape-memory element having a memory which makes it assume a straight position upon the application of an electrical current thereto and bypass means adjustable longitudinally of the shape-memory element for causing the current applied to the shape-memory element to bypass a portion of the length of the shape-memory element so that it remains flexible at that portion to provide a hinge point for the bend.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
72 words
A method for adjusting the bend location in a steerable catheter having a distal extremity, providing stiffening means within the distal extremity of the catheter, providing a hinge point in the stiffening means and adjusting the location of the hinge point longitudinally of the stiffening means to adjust the position of the hinge point whereby the length of the distal extremity of the catheter extending beyond the hinge point can be adjusted.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
127 words
A method for preventing whipping of the distal extremity of a steerable catheter as the steerable catheter is rotated when a bend has been placed in the distal extremity of the steerable catheter of the type which is provided with an elongate shaft and having a centrally disposed lumen therein extending therethrough and an additional lumen disposed therein offset from the centrally disposed lumen and a coaxially mounted sleeve mounted on said shaft comprising imparting a twist to at least a portion of the shaft and securing opposite sides of the portion of the shaft having the portion therein to the sleeve to retain the twist in the shaft and placing a pull wire in the additional lumen in the shaft and secured to the distal extremity.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for adjusting the radius of the bend in the distal extremity of a steerable catheter, providing a stiffening mandrel which is slidably mounted in the distal extremity of the catheter, providing pull wire means secured to the distal extremity of the catheter for creating a bend in the distal extremity of the catheter and changing the position of the stiffening means to change the radius of the bend in the distal extremity of the catheter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
WO1995003742A1
Cited
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