Catheter device

• US 20050228274A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rahn, Norbert, Boese, Jan, Kleen, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,578,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/433
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0161 wherein the distal tips have two or more deflection regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0105 Steering means as part of the catheter or advancing means; Markers for positioning systems for detection of markers A61B
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0155 with hydraulic or pneumatic means, e.g. balloons or inflatable compartments

Abstract

Catheter device, comprising a catheter (2) for introduction into a hollow organ, especially a vessel, with a number of bending elements (12, 12a-12f, 12a′-12e′) arranged around the longitudinal axis of the catheter and distributed over at least a part of the catheter length, which can be activated separately for a specified change of shape via a control device (5), as well as a number of bending sensors (15, 15a-15e, 15a′-15e′) arranged around the longitudinal axis of the catheter and distributed over at least a part of the catheter length communicating with a control device (5), with the control device (5) being embodied to determine the given geometrical shape of the catheter (2) on the basis of the bending sensor signals and to determine the change of shape of the bending elements (12, 12a-12f, 12a′-12e′) necessary for a movement of the catheter (2) by a forward movement length preferably specifiable on the user side to enable the catheter (2) to move by itself at least in part, by explicit bend-dependent force application to the wall of the organ (16).

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A catheter device, comprising:

a catheter for inserting into a hollow organ;

a plurality of flexural elements arranged around a longitudinal axis of the catheter and distributed along a catheter length;

a control device for activating the flexural elements with regard to obtain a desired shape of the flexural elements; and

a plurality of bending sensors arranged around the longitudinal axis of the catheter and distributed over at least part of the catheter length, the bending sensors adapted to communicate with the control device, wherein

the flexural elements are adapted to be selectively activated for obtaining the desired shape using the control device, the control device adapted to;

determine a current geometrical shape of the catheter using bending signals supplied by the bending sensors; and

determine a required change of shape of the flexural elements for causing a desired movement of the catheter so that the catheter is at least partially movable inside the hollow organ by selectively applying a force to an inner organ wall of the hollow organ using flexural elements activated according to the required change of shape.

9. The catheter device according to claim 8, wherein the hollow organ is a blood vessel.

10. The catheter device according to claim 8, wherein all flexural elements necessary to obtain the desired movement of the catheter are simultaneously activated by the control device.

11. The catheter device according to claim 8, further comprising an input device for inputting a forward movement length related to the desired movement of the catheter.

12. The catheter device according to claim 11, wherein the forward movement length is a value relative to a metric or non-metric length unit.

13. The catheter device according to claim 11, further comprising a recording device for recording a movement of the catheter, wherein

the desired forward movement is executed by moving the catheter manually;

and

the forward movement length corresponding to the desired forward movement is determined by the recording device.

14. The catheter device according to claim 13, wherein the forward movement length is a total movement length covered by the catheter within a specified time interval.

15. The catheter device according to claim 13, wherein the forward movement length is a mathematically integrated movement speed of the catheter relative to a specified time interval.

16. The catheter device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is adapted to successively activate the flexural elements several times for obtaining the desired shape of the flexural elements using the forward movement length input several times.

17. The catheter device according to claim 8, wherein the control device is adapted to activate the flexural elements such that, after a movement of the catheter, the flexural elements recover their shape as it was before the movement of the catheter.