US20070135733A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Handle and articulator system and method
Assignee: Heraeus Materials SA
•
Filing: 2005-12-09
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2025-12-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention includes an assembly having a handle for articulating an articulator in an ergonomically improved manner. The handle can be adapted to articulate a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed. The handle can have at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure. The invention also includes methods of making and using such a handle.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Soukup
- 👤 Gregory Townsend
- 👤 Mark Pederson
- 👤 William Kuester
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:42
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/0105; A61M25/0133; A61M25/0136; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B2017/0046; A61B2017/00469; A61B17/28; A61B17/29; A61B17/2909; A61B2017/2912; A61B2017/2919
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 54
Claim 1
Independent Claim
33 words
1 . An assembly including a handle for articulating an articulator, the handle comprising at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
1 . An assembly including a handle for articulating an articulator, the handle comprising at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
2 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle provides a one-to-one torqueability ratio.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
3 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle is adapted to navigate a distal end of the articulator through a tortuous pathway.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
4 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a biasing member to bias a distal end of the articulator to a desired position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
5 . An assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the biasing member comprises a spring.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
6 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a biasing member to bias a distal end of the articulator to a straight position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
7 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a biasing member to bias a distal end of the articulator to a curved position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
8 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle is adapted to lock a distal end of the articulator in a desired position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
9 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the articulator includes a first wire and a second wire, the articulator having a distal end being articulatable by moving the first wire relative to the second wire.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
10 . An assembly according to claim 9 , the handle adapted to move the first wire relative to the second wire by applying a longitudinal force differential between the first wire and the second wire.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
11 . An assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being functionally coupled to a proximal portion of the first wire and the second portion being functionally coupled to a proximal portion of the second wire, the first and second portions being movable relative to each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
12 . An assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being reattachably attached to the proximal portion of the first wire and the second portion being reattachably attached to the proximal portion of the second wire.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
13 . An assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first portion is reattachably attached to the first wire by a first collet and a first collet nut, and the second portion is reattachably attached to the second wire by a second collet and a second collet nut.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
14 . An assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the handle has a proximal end and a distal end, the first collet and first collet nut being proximate the proximal end and the second collet and second collet nut being proximate the distal end to provide easy access for detaching and reattaching the articulator and the handle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
15 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a first actuating member pivotably coupled to a first portion and a second actuating member pivotably coupled to a second portion, the first and second actuating members useful for actuating the articulation of a distal end of the articulator.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
68 words
16 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the articulator comprises a first wire having a distal portion and a proximal portion and a second wire having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the second wire being disposed in a lumen defined by the first wire and the distal portion of the second wire being functionally coupled to the distal portion of the first wire.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
17 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the articulator comprises a plurality of notches.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
18 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the articulator has an adjustable stiffness.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
19 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the articulator has an adjustable length.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
20 . An assembly according to claim 1 , the handle being able to deflect a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
21 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle includes a first portion adapted to be engaged by one or both of the thumb and the palm of a human hand.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
22 . An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle includes a first actuating member adapted to engaged by one or both of the index and middle fingers of the human hand.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
23 . An assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the handle has a stop to keep the first wire from exiting the handle.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
24 . An assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the articuluator reattachably attached to the handle.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
14 words
25 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator is steerable.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
26 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator has one or more of an adjustable length and stiffness.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
27 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator is steerable and has one or more of an adjustable length and stiffness.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
32 words
28 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator comprises a first wire with a first feature longitudinally offset from a second feature to provide relatively complex articulator shapes.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
29 . An assembly according to claim 28 , wherein the first and second features independently comprise notches, resected portions, and/or strengthened portions.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
30 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator comprises an enlarged distal end.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
31 . An assembly according to claim 30 , wherein the enlarged distal end comprises a basket useful for collecting clots.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
32 . An assembly according to claim 30 , wherein the enlarged distal end comprises a membrane useful for occluding a tortuous pathway.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
33 . An assembly according to claim 24 , further including a coating provided over at least the distal end of the articulator.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
34 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator comprises an atraumatic distal tip.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
31 words
35 . An assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the articulator comprises a second wire disposed within a lumen defined by a first wire, the first wire comprising a polymer.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
44 words
36 . A handle for articulating an articulator, the handle comprising at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure, the handle being able to deflect a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
44 words
36 . A handle for articulating an articulator, the handle comprising at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure, the handle being able to deflect a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
58 words
37 . A method of using a handle, the method comprising the steps of performing a first step of a medical procedure, the medical procedure including navigating a distal end of an articulator through a tortuous pathway; detaching the articulator and the handle; performing a second step of a medical procedure; and reattaching the handle and the articulator.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
58 words
37 . A method of using a handle, the method comprising the steps of performing a first step of a medical procedure, the medical procedure including navigating a distal end of an articulator through a tortuous pathway; detaching the articulator and the handle; performing a second step of a medical procedure; and reattaching the handle and the articulator.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
44 words
38 . The method of claim 37 , the articulator being able to form a generally helical curve, further including the steps of twisting the articulator to attach it to a wall of the tortuous pathway and pushing the medical device over the articulator.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
46 words
39 . An assembly comprising an articulator comprising proximal and distal end portions, and a corresponding handle, the articulator and handle being adapted to be mated at the proximal end portion, in order to permit the resulting assembly to be operated in an ergonomically improved manner.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
46 words
39 . An assembly comprising an articulator comprising proximal and distal end portions, and a corresponding handle, the articulator and handle being adapted to be mated at the proximal end portion, in order to permit the resulting assembly to be operated in an ergonomically improved manner.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
18 words
40 . The assembly of claim 39 , wherein the articulator can be releasably mated with the handle.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
14 words
41 The assembly of claim 39 , the ergonomically improved manner comprises single-handed operation.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
26 words
42 . The assembly of claim 39 , wherein the articulator can be releasably mated with the handle and the ergonomically improved manner comprises single-handed operation.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
27 words
43 . The assembly of claim 39 , wherein the distal end of the articulator can be controlled so as to form a plurality of desired shapes.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
17 words
44 . The assembly of claim 43 , wherein the distal end provides a non-traumatic distal end.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
74 words
45 . The assembly of 39 , wherein the assembly adapted to control the movement of the articulator in a desired manner within a three dimensional coordinate system, including X, Y and Z axes corresponding to the X dimension, linearly (in a proximal-distal direction), the Y dimension, radially, emanating from the core of the articulator, and the Z dimension, in a generally concentric dimension, as by rotating around the central axis of the articulator.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
74 words
45 . The assembly of 39 , wherein the assembly adapted to control the movement of the articulator in a desired manner within a three dimensional coordinate system, including X, Y and Z axes corresponding to the X dimension, linearly (in a proximal-distal direction), the Y dimension, radially, emanating from the core of the articulator, and the Z dimension, in a generally concentric dimension, as by rotating around the central axis of the articulator.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
32 words
46 . The assembly of claim 45 , wherein the assembly can be operated to provide a controlled array of distal end portion forms that include straight, bends; curves and combinations thereof.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
29 words
47 . The assembly of claim 39 , wherein the articulator operates on a “push-pull” basis that involves the use of relative motion as between a plurality of parts.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
23 words
48 . The assembly of claim 47 , wherein the parts comprise a core wire and an adjacent or surrounding stylet or guidewire.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
24 words
49 . The assembly of claim 39 , wherein the single handed fashion comprises finger operation and hand movement such as turning and/or advancing.
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