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US5897529A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Steerable deflectable catheter having improved flexibility

Assignee: Biosense Webster Inc
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Filing: 1997-09-05
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Granted: 1999-04-27
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Expires: 2017-09-05
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Abstract

Abstract A steerable catheter comprises a catheter body, a control handle, and a tip section. The catheter body comprises an outer wall having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The control handle is situated at the proximal end of the catheter body. The tip section comprises a flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends and at least one off axis lumen. The catheter also comprises a spacer at the junction of the catheter body and tip section. The spacer is made of a material more flexible than the catheter body but less flexible than the flexible tubing of the tip section. The spacer is fixedly situated between the proximal end of the tip section and the distal end of the catheter body. The catheter further comprises a compression coil and a puller wire. The compression coil extends through a lumen in the catheter body and into an off axis lumen in the tip section. The compression coil is fixedly attached at its proximal end to the proximal end of the catheter body and is fixedly attached at its distal end to the tip section at a location distal to the spacer. The puller wire extends from the control handle through the compression coil and into the off axis lumen in the tip section. The distal end of the puller wire is anchored to the tip section at a location distal to the distal end of the compression coil. Manipulation of the control handle results in deflection of the tip section.

Inventors

  • 👤 Dean M. Ponzi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 22:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/0105; A61M25/0133; A61M25/0147; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1492; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61B18/24; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00084; A61B2017/00092; A61B2017/00097; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00243; A61B2017/00247; A61B2017/00292; A61B2017/003; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00345; A61B2018/00351; A61B2018/00392; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/25; A61B5/279; A61B5/28; A61B5/283; A61B5/287; A61M2025/015

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 228 words
A steerable catheter comprising: a catheter body comprising an outer wall having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough; a control handle at the proximal end of the catheter body; a tip section comprising flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends and at least one off axis lumen; a spacer at the junction of the catheter body and tip section, said spacer being made of a material more flexible than the catheter body but less flexible than the flexible tubing of the tip section, wherein the spacer is fixedly situated between the proximal end of the tip section and the distal end of the catheter body; a compression coil extending through a lumen in the catheter body and into an off axis lumen in the tip section, said compression coil being fixedly attached at its proximal end to the proximal end of the catheter body and being fixedly attached at its distal end to the tip section at a location distal to the spacer; a puller wire extending from the control handle through the compression coil and into the off axis lumen in the tip section, the distal end of the puller wire being anchored to the tip section at a location distal to the distal end of the compression coil; whereby manipulation of the control handle results in deflection of the tip section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 228 words
A steerable catheter comprising: a catheter body comprising an outer wall having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough; a control handle at the proximal end of the catheter body; a tip section comprising flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends and at least one off axis lumen; a spacer at the junction of the catheter body and tip section, said spacer being made of a material more flexible than the catheter body but less flexible than the flexible tubing of the tip section, wherein the spacer is fixedly situated between the proximal end of the tip section and the distal end of the catheter body; a compression coil extending through a lumen in the catheter body and into an off axis lumen in the tip section, said compression coil being fixedly attached at its proximal end to the proximal end of the catheter body and being fixedly attached at its distal end to the tip section at a location distal to the spacer; a puller wire extending from the control handle through the compression coil and into the off axis lumen in the tip section, the distal end of the puller wire being anchored to the tip section at a location distal to the distal end of the compression coil; whereby manipulation of the control handle results in deflection of the tip section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the compression coil is tightly wound.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the distal end of the compression coil is loosely wound and the proximal end of the compression coil is tightly wound.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
A catheter according to claim 3 wherein the length of loosely wound compression is about 0.50 inch.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
A catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a plastic sheath, wherein said plastic sheath is situated in the tip section in surrounding relation to the puller wire.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a tip electrode mounted at the distal end of the tip section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 16 words
A catheter according to claim 6 wherein the puller wire is anchored to the tip electrode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the puller wire is anchored to the side wall of the tip section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the catheter body has a single lumen extending therethrough.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 14 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the outer wall comprises polyurethane or nylon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 17 words
A catheter according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall comprises an imbedded braided stainless steel mesh.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 31 words
A catheter according to claim 1, wherein the catheter body further comprises an inner stiffening tube lining the outer wall, said stiffening tube having a distal end and a proximal end.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 12 words
A catheter according to claim 12 wherein the stiffening tube comprises polyimide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the spacer has a length of about 0.25 inch to about 0.75 inch.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 16 words
A catheter according to claim 14 wherein the spacer has a length of about 0.50 inch.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 36 words
A catheter according to claim 1 wherein the control handle comprises a first member fixedly attached to the proximal end of the catheter body and a second member that is movable relative to the first member.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 60 words
A catheter according to claim 16 wherein the proximal end of the puller wire is fixedly secured to the second member of the control handle, whereby manipulation of the first member of the control handle relative to the second member of the control handle moves the puller wire relative to the catheter body, resulting in deflection of the tip section.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-04-26 2002-10-26 2003-04-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-04-26 2006-10-26 2007-04-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-04-26 2010-10-26 2011-04-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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