Electrophysiology catheter with multifunctional wire and method for making

Claim 1

A multifunction wire freely slideably housable within a catheter shaft of an electrophysiology catheter for radially deflecting a tip portion of the catheter shaft at a desired longitudinal location and for applying a torque to the catheter shaft, the multifunction wire comprising: an elongate, flexible body locatable within the catheter shaft and independently capable of free, slideable movement relative to the tip portion of the catheter shaft, the body comprising a distal portion and a main portion; said main portion having a generally circular cross-sectional shape for efficient torque transmission; and said distal portion having an other-than-circular cross-sectional shape with a torque-transferring surface.

Claim 8

A method for constructing an electrophysiology catheter comprising the following steps: constructing a catheter assembly comprising an improved electrophysiology catheter of the type comprising a handle including first, second and third manipulators, a catheter shaft extending from the handle and having a flexible tip portion, an electrode mounted to the tip portion and electrically coupled to the handle, and a radial deflection element, coupled to the first manipulator at one end and the flexible tip portion at the other end, capable of radially deflecting the tip portion to a radially curved shape, a multifunction element, extending along the catheter shaft, having a proximal end operably coupled to the second manipulator and a distal end housed within the tip portion, said second manipulator constructed to cause the multifunction element to slide longitudinally, so to position the multifunction element distal end at a chosen longitudinal location along the tip portion, said third manipulator constructed to cause the multifunction element to torque the multifunction element proximal end, said tip portion comprising a lateral deflection lumen having said multifunction element distal end for longitudinal sliding movement therein, said lateral deflection lumen and said multifunction element distal end comprising interfering torquing surfaces so that torquing said multifunction element by said second manipulator causes said interfering torquing surfaces to engage and causes lateral deflection of said tip portion distal end; limiting the longitudinal sliding movement of said multifunction element so that the interfering torquing surface of said multifunction element can move only between proximal and distal longitudinal positions along said tip portion, said proximal longitudinal position being at least a chosen distance from the proximal end of said tip portion; and selecting said chosen distance so that substantially all of said lateral deflection of at least 90° can occur along said chosen distance upon torquing of said tip portion through said interfering torquing surfaces.

Claim 9

A method for constructing an electrophysiology catheter comprising the following steps: constructing a catheter assembly comprising an improved electrophysiology catheter of the type comprising a handle including first, second and third manipulators, a catheter shaft extending from the handle and having a flexible tip portion, an electrode mounted to the tip portion and electrically coupled to the handle, and a radial deflection element, coupled to the first manipulator at one end and the flexible tip portion at the other end, capable of radially deflecting the tip portion to a radially curved shape, a multifunction element, extending along the catheter shaft, having a proximal end operably coupled to the second manipulator and a distal end housed within the tip portion, said second manipulator constructed to cause the multifunction element to slide longitudinally, so to position the multifunction element distal end at a chosen longitudinal location along the tip portion, said third manipulator constructed to cause the multifunction element to torque the multifunction element proximal end, said tip portion comprising a lateral deflection lumen having said multifunction element distal end for longitudinal sliding movement therein, said lateral deflection lumen and said multifunction element distal end comprising interfering torquing surfaces so that torquing said multifunction element by said second manipulator causes said interfering torquing surfaces to engage and causes lateral deflection of said tip portion distal end; limiting the longitudinal sliding movement of said multifunction element so that the interfering torquing surface of said multifunction element can move only between proximal and distal longitudinal positions along said tip portion, said proximal longitudinal position being at least a chosen distance from the proximal end of said tip portion; and selecting said chosen distance so that substantially all of said lateral deflection of at least 90° can occur along said chosen distance upon torquing of said tip portion through said interfering torquing surfaces.