Handle for steerable catheter

• US 20050256375A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Freed, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,465,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/146
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09116 Design of handles or shafts or gripping surfaces thereof for manipulating guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0133 Tip steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor

Abstract

A handle for controlling a steerable catheter can be aligned so that the direction of movement of the catheter is aligned with the orientation of an image on a monitor. In one embodiment, the handle is axially symmetric, allowing a physician to grasp it such that the movement of the catheter is aligned with an image displayed. In another embodiment, the handle is a grip that is rotatable with respect to the controls of a steerable catheter in order to align the movement with the image displayed.

Claims

1. A steerable catheter, including:

a shaft having a proximal and a distal end and one or more lumens therein;

one or more pull wires having a distal end secured at or adjacent the distal end of the shaft and a proximal end secured to a steering mechanism that causes the one or more pull wires to be selectively tensioned or released in order to orient the catheter in a desired direction; and

a handle that allows a user to change the orientation of their hand, with respect to the steering mechanism, so that movement of the steering mechanism in a desired direction is aligned with an image of the catheter displayed for the user.

2. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the handle is axially symmetric and surrounds the steering mechanism so that a user can hold the handle at any position around the steering mechanism.

3. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a rotatable grip that is rotatable with respect to the steering mechanism.

4. The steerable catheter of claim 3, wherein the grip is ergometrically shaped.

5. The steerable catheter of claim 1, further comprising a movable indicator on the handle that indicates to the user the way in which the steering mechanism is to be activated in order to produce movement in a desired direction on the display.

6. The steerable catheter of claim 5, wherein the movable indicator is a ring that is rotatable around the handle.

7. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter includes an imaging mechanism that produces images of a patient'"'"'s internal body cavity.

8. The steerable catheter of claim 7, wherein the imaging mechanism includes fiber optic illumination and imaging bundles.

9. The steerable catheter of claim 7, wherein the imaging mechanism includes a solid state imaging sensor.