Radial expansion and contraction features of medical devices
First Claim
1. A medical device introducible into a patient, the medical device comprising:
- a flexible body having a diameter, the flexible body configured to undergo a movement cycle in vivo in which the diameter changes, the movement cycle comprising an expansion phase in which the diameter increases and a contraction phase in which the diameter decreases; and
one or more motors located within the flexible body, each motor of the one or more motors configured to perform a series of actuation cycles in vivo during either the expansion phase or the contraction phase based on application of an electrical signal to the motor, each actuation cycle of the series of actuation cycles comprising an expansion of the motor from an initial state and a retraction of the motor back to the initial state in a reciprocating manner based on application of the electrical signal to the motor, wherein performance of the series of actuation cycles by the motor based on application of the electrical signal either;
(1) incrementally and progressively increases with each actuation cycle the diameter of the flexible body during the expansion phase in which each incremental and progressive increase in the diameter is forced by expansion of the motor, or (2) incrementally and progressively decreases with each actuation cycle the diameter of the flexible body during the contraction phase in which each incremental and progressive decrease in the diameter is forced by expansion of the motor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure concerns medical devices, such as catheters and implantable devices, having radially adjustable features. More particularly, the catheters and implantable devices can radially expand and contract to perform various functions within the body. Expansion and contraction can be performed by a radially adjustable structure mounted on the medical device. For example, a medical device can include an body configured for in vivo introduction, a strip attached to the body and rolled into a ring such that layers of the strip radially overlap each other, and at least one motor actuatable by electrical energy to move the radially overlapping layers of the strip relative to one another and change a diameter of the ring and the body.
139 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A medical device introducible into a patient, the medical device comprising:
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a flexible body having a diameter, the flexible body configured to undergo a movement cycle in vivo in which the diameter changes, the movement cycle comprising an expansion phase in which the diameter increases and a contraction phase in which the diameter decreases; and one or more motors located within the flexible body, each motor of the one or more motors configured to perform a series of actuation cycles in vivo during either the expansion phase or the contraction phase based on application of an electrical signal to the motor, each actuation cycle of the series of actuation cycles comprising an expansion of the motor from an initial state and a retraction of the motor back to the initial state in a reciprocating manner based on application of the electrical signal to the motor, wherein performance of the series of actuation cycles by the motor based on application of the electrical signal either;
(1) incrementally and progressively increases with each actuation cycle the diameter of the flexible body during the expansion phase in which each incremental and progressive increase in the diameter is forced by expansion of the motor, or (2) incrementally and progressively decreases with each actuation cycle the diameter of the flexible body during the contraction phase in which each incremental and progressive decrease in the diameter is forced by expansion of the motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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3. A medical device introducible into a patient, the medical device comprising:
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a polymer tube having a lumen open on a distal end of the polymer tube, an exterior surface, and a wall radially between the lumen and the exterior surface, the lumen defining an inner diameter of the polymer tube and the exterior surfacing defining an outer diameter of the polymer tube, the lumen configured to permit passage of one or both of fluid and tooling through the polymer tube in vivo, the polymer tube configured to undergo a movement cycle in vivo in which both the inner and the outer diameters change, the movement cycle comprising an expansion phase in which both the inner and outer diameters increase simultaneously and a contraction phase in which both the inner and outer diameters decrease simultaneously; and one or more motors located within the wall of the polymer tube, each motor of the one or more motors configured to perform while in vivo a series of actuation cycles during either the expansion phase or the contraction phase based on application of an electrical signal to the motor, wherein performance of the series of actuation cycles by the motor based on application of the electrical signal either;
(1) incrementally and progressively increases both of the inner and outer diameters simultaneously during the expansion phase, or (2) incrementally and progressively decreases both of the inner and outer diameters simultaneously during the contraction phase. - View Dependent Claims (4, 10)
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11. A medical device introducible into a patient, the medical device comprising:
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a catheter having a longitudinal axis, the catheter including a plurality of sections arrayed along the longitudinal axis of the catheter, the plurality of sections including at least three sections, the plurality of sections respectively having a plurality of outer diameters of the catheter such that each section has a respective outer diameter, each section configured to undergo a movement cycle in vivo in which the outer diameter of the section changes, the movement cycle comprising an expansion phase in which the outer diameter increases and a contraction phase in which the outer diameter decreases; a plurality of motors arrayed respectively along the plurality of sections and attached to the catheter, the plurality of motors including at least three motors, each motor of the plurality of motors configured to perform a series of actuation cycles in vivo based on application of an electrical signal to the motor during either the expansion phase to incrementally and progressively increase the outer diameter of the respective section along which the motor is located or the contraction phase to incrementally and progressively decrease the outer diameter of the respective section along which the motor is located; wherein the plurality of motors are independently controllable with respect to each other such that the plurality of motors can change the outer diameters of the plurality of sections to be different sizes with respect to each other.
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12. A medical device introducible into a patient, the medical device comprising:
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a flexible body having a diameter, the flexible body configured to undergo a movement cycle in vivo in which the diameter changes, the movement cycle comprising an expansion phase in which the diameter increases and a contraction phase in which the diameter decreases, wherein the flexible body comprises a strip rolled into a ring such that layers of the strip radially overlap each other; and one or more motors located within the flexible body, each motor of the one or more motors is-configured to actuate to cause the radially overlapping layers of the strip to move relative to one another to change the diameter of the flexible body in which each motor of the one or more motors performs while in vivo a series of actuation cycles during either the expansion phase or the contraction phase based on application of an electrical signal to the motor, wherein performance of the series of actuation cycles by the motor based on application of the electrical signal either;
(1) incrementally and progressively increases the diameter of the flexible body during the expansion phase, or (2) incrementally and progressively decreases the diameter of the flexible body during the contraction phase. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A medical device comprising:
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a flexible tube configured for in vivo introduction, the flexible tube having a first diameter; a strip attached to the flexible tube, the strip rolled into a ring such that layers of the strip radially overlap each other, the ring located within the flexible tube and having a second diameter; and one or more motors, the one or more motors actuatable by electrical energy and configured to, by said actuation, move the radially overlapping layers of the strip relative to one another and change the second diameter of the ring while the ring is both in vivo and within the flexible tube, the ring causing the flexible tube to change in the first diameter as the second diameter of the ring changes due to the actuation of the one or more motors. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification