Catheter articulation segment with alternating cuts

• US 20050177132A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CryoCor Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CryoCor Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Koerner, Richard J., Lentz, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,637,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/525
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0013 Weakening parts of a catheter tubing, e.g. by making cuts in the tube or reducing thickness of a layer at one point to adjust the flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0138 having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils

Abstract

An articulation segment for a catheter includes a tube formed with a first plurality of axially aligned slits that are respectively oriented in planes perpendicular to the axis, with each slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis. The tube is also formed with a second plurality of similarly formed slits that are axially offset and diametrically opposed relative to the slits of the first plurality to allow for a bending of the catheter in a plurality of different planes. In a particular embodiment, the slits are arranged to allow the articulation segment to be reconfigured from a straight, substantially cylindrically shaped tube to a configuration in which a portion of the articulation segment is formed in the shape of a ring.

Claims

1. An articulation segment of a catheter for selectively bending the catheter in a plurality of planes, the articulation segment comprising:

a hollow tube having a wall and defining a longitudinal axis, the tube being formed with a plurality of first slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the axis, with each first slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, and wherein the respective centers of the first slits are aligned along a first substantially helical path, the tube being further formed with a plurality of second slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the axis, with each second slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, and wherein the respective centers of the second slits are aligned along a second substantially helical path, with said second helical path being substantially diametrically opposite said first substantially helical path relative to said axis to allow for the selective bending of the catheter.

2. An articulation segment as recited in claim 1 wherein each first slit is azimuthally offset from an adjacent first slit.

3. An articulation segment as recited in claim 2 wherein the plurality of first slits includes an initial first slit and a final first slit and wherein the center of the initial first slit is azimuthally offset from the center of the final first slit by approximately ninety degrees.

4. An articulation segment as recited in claim 2 wherein the first end of each first slit is juxtaposed and overlaps with the second end of an adjacent second slit, and the second end of each first slit is juxtaposed and overlaps with the first end of an adjacent second slit.

5. An articulation segment as recited in claim 1 with each the first slit and each the second slit having a substantially same arc length, wherein the arc length is greater than one hundred and eighty degrees.

6. An articulation segment as recited in claim 5 wherein the respective ends of the first slits and the second slits overlap through an arc distance of approximately ten degrees.

7. An articulation segment as recited in claim 1 wherein the tube is formed with a plurality of third slits cut through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis with each third slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis with the plurality of third slits aligned along the axis in a same azimuthal orientation relative to each other;

the tube being further formed with a plurality of fourth slits cut through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis with each fourth slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis with the plurality of fourth slits aligned along the axis in a same azimuthal orientation relative to each other.

8. An articulation segment as recited in claim 6 wherein the tube is formed with a plurality of fifth slits cut through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis with each fifth slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis with the plurality of fifth slits aligned along the axis in a same azimuthal orientation relative to each other and azimuthally offset from the plurality of third slits by approximately ninety degrees.

9. An articulation segment as recited in claim 1 wherein each slit has a width in a range of approximately ten to five hundred microns.

10. An articulation segment as recited in claim 1 wherein the tube is a hypotube made of stainless steel.

11. An articulation segment of a catheter for selectively bending the catheter, the articulation segment comprising:

a hollow tube having a wall and defining an axis and including;

a first tube section formed with a plurality of first slits each having a center, with the plurality of first slits cut into the tube through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis with their respective centers aligned along a line substantially parallel to the axis;

a second tube section axially spaced from said first section and formed with a plurality of second slits each having a center, with the plurality of second slits cut into the tube through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis with their respective centers aligned substantially parallel to the axis and azimuthally offset from said line; and

a transition tube section positioned along said axis between the first tube section and the second tube section and having a plurality of third slits cut through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis to allow for the selective bending of the catheter.

12. An articulation segment as recited in claim 11 wherein each third slit extends azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis with each third slit being azimuthally offset from an adjacent third slit;

the transition tube section being further formed with a plurality of fourth slits cut through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis with each fourth slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis;

wherein each fourth slit is azimuthally offset from an adjacent fourth slit.

13. An articulation segment as recited in claim 12 wherein each third slit extends from a first end to a second end and defines a center midway therebetween and the respective centers of the third slits are aligned along a substantially helical path.

14. An articulation segment as recited in claim 11 wherein each first slit is azimuthally offset from each second slit by approximately ninety degrees.

15. An articulation segment as recited in claim 11 wherein each slit has a width in a range of approximately ten to five hundred microns.

16. An articulation segment of a catheter for selectively bending the catheter, the articulation segment comprising:

a hollow tube having a first end, a second end, and a wall extending therebetween, the tube defining an axis and formed with a plurality of slits cut into the tube through the wall in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis, with each slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, and wherein the respective centers are aligned along a first substantially helical path for reconfiguring the tube from a first configuration in which the tube is substantially cylindrically shaped to a second configuration in which a portion of the tube is substantially ring shaped in response to the first tube end being drawn toward the second tube end.

17. An articulation segment as recited in claim 16 wherein each slit is azimuthally offset from an adjacent slit.

18. An articulation segment as recited in claim 17 wherein each slit has an arc length greater than one hundred and eighty degrees.

19. An articulation segment as recited in claim 18 wherein the plurality of slits includes an initial slit and a final slit and wherein the center of the initial first slit is azimuthally offset from the center of the final first slit by approximately ninety degrees.

20. An articulation segment as recited in claim 19 wherein each slit has an axial width in a range of approximately ten to five hundred microns.