Long nose manipulatable catheter

• US 20070173757A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hebert, Stephen, Levine, Marc-Alan, Watson, David, Breton, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,414,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/95.40
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/015 Details of the distal fixation of the movable mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1079 having radio-opaque markers in the region of the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1093 having particular tip characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

The long nose manipulatable catheter includes a main lumen, a wire lumen with a push-pull wire therethrough, and a flexible joint region. The catheter section includes a control including a handle and a wire control member engaging the push-pull wire for manipulating the flexible joint region. The push-pull wire may be tapered, having a proximal portion of a first diameter and a smaller diameter distal portion. A coil may be placed around the smaller diameter to prevent buckling of the smaller diameter portion. A strapping coil may also disposed around the outside of the catheter, and an outer covering may be disposed around the strapping coil. An outer covering of a mesh may also be disposed around the distal tip of the catheter.

Claims

1. A catheter section comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, said catheter body including a distal flexible joint region, a main lumen extending through said catheter body and through said flexible joint region, and a wire lumen adjacent to said main lumen and extending through said catheter body and through said flexible joint region, the catheter body defining at least a first region having a first flexibility and a second region having a second flexibility more flexible than the first region, the wire lumen of said flexible joint region having an opening near or at a distal end of the flexible joint region, wherein the flexible joint region has a predetermined length sized to affect a flexure of the flexible joint region;

a push-pull wire configured to be pushed or pulled along a longitudinal axis of the wire through the wire lumen, the distal end of said push-pull wire attached to said distal flexible joint region;

a control in communication with a proximal end of the push-pull wire for manipulating the flexible joint region.

2. The catheter section of claim 1, further comprising at least one radio-opaque band near or at the distal end of the flexible joint region.

3. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein the first region is located distally of the second region.

4. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein the second region is located distally of the first region.

5. The catheter section of claim 1, further comprising a third region having a third flexibility more flexible than the second region.

6. The catheter section of claim 5, wherein the third region is located distally of the second region.

7. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein the wire lumen further comprises a braid along at least a substantial portion of the wire lumen.

8. The catheter section of claim 7, wherein the braid terminates proximally of the flexible joint region.

9. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein the main lumen further comprises a lining along at least a substantial portion of the main lumen.

10. The catheter section of claim 9, wherein the lining comprises a lubricious lining.

11. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein the wire lumen further comprises a lining along at least a substantial portion of the wire lumen.

12. The catheter section of claim 11, wherein the lining comprises a lubricious lining.

13. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein the flexible joint region is comprised of a polymer which is softer than adjacent polymers.

14. The catheter section of claim 1, further comprising a coating over at least a majority of the flexible joint region.

15. The catheter section of claim 1, further comprising a tubing extension extending distally from said main lumen of said distal end of said flexible joint region.

16. The catheter section of claim 15, further comprising a radio-opaque marker band attached to said tubing extension.

17. The catheter section of claim 16, wherein said push-pull wire extends through said opening of said wire lumen at said distal end of said flexible joint region, and is attached to said marker band attached to said tubing extension.

18. The catheter section of claim 1, further comprising a radio-opaque marker band positioned about said push-pull wire lumen.

19. The catheter section of claim 1, wherein said control comprises:

a handle receiving said proximal end of said push-pull wire; and

a wire control member mounted to said handle and engaging said push-pull wire, whereby movement of said wire control member translates said push-pull wire along said longitudinal axis of said push-pull wire.

20. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said handle comprises a push-pull wire guide extending from the handle, and said push-pull wire passes through said push-pull wire guide for transitioning the push-pull wire to said catheter body.

21. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said proximal end of said push-pull wire is attached to a rack bearing a plurality of engagement teeth, and said wire control member engaging said engagement teeth of said rack, whereby movement of said wire control member advances said rack proximally or distally to thereby translate the attached push-pull wire along said longitudinal axis of said push-pull wire.

22. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said wire control member comprises a wheel defining a concentrically configured gear engaging said engagement teeth of said rack, whereby rotation of said wheel advances said rack proximally or distally to thereby translate said push-pull wire along said longitudinal axis of said push-pull wire.

23. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said handle is integrated into a catheter fitting connected to said catheter body, said catheter fitting including a main lumen access and a push-pull wire access.

24. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said proximal end of said push-pull wire is attached to a wire carriage, and said wire control member comprises a carriage screw disposed within said handle, said wire carriage being configured to travel within an advancement channel defined within said handle, and a proximal end of said carriage screw being attached to a control knob that may be rotated to advance said wire carriage and said push-pull wire either proximally or distally along said longitudinal axis of said push-pull wire.

25. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said proximal end of said push-pull wire is attached to a wire carriage, and said handle comprises a control release knob attached to a release screw attached to said wire carriage, whereby said control release knob may be translated proximally or distally such that said wire carriage travels within an advancement channel to advance or retract said push-pull wire.

26. The catheter section of claim 25, wherein said control release knob may be tightened about said release screw against said handle to lock a position of the push-pull wire.

27. The catheter section of claim 19, wherein said proximal end of said push-pull wire is attached to a wire carriage, and wherein said wire control member comprises a control slide configured to proximally or distally advance said wire carriage within said handle to thereby translate said push-pull wire along said longitudinal axis of said push-pull wire.

28. A catheter section comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, said catheter body including a distal flexible joint region, a main lumen extending through said catheter body and through said flexible joint region, and a wire lumen adjacent to said main lumen and extending through said catheter body and through said flexible joint region, the wire lumen of said flexible joint region having an opening near or at a distal end of the flexible joint region;

a push-pull wire configured to be pushed or pulled along a longitudinal axis of the wire through the wire lumen, the distal end of said push-pull wire attached to said distal flexible joint region, the push-pull wire having a proximal portion of a first diameter and a distal portion of a smaller diameter than said first diameter;

a coil disposed around the smaller diameter distal portion of said push-pull wire; and

a control in communication with a proximal end of the push-pull wire for manipulating the flexible joint region.

29. The catheter section of claim 28, further comprising a coating of a material with a low coefficient of friction disposed over the push-pull wire.

30. The catheter section of claim 28, further comprising a strapping coil disposed around the outside of the catheter.

31. The catheter section of claim 28, further comprising an outer covering formed of a polymeric material disposed around the strapping coil.

32. The catheter section of claim 31, wherein the outer covering disposed around the strapping coil is formed of PEBAX.

33. The catheter section of claim 28, further comprising an outer covering of a mesh formed of a polymeric material disposed around the distal tip of the catheter.

34. The catheter section of claim 33, wherein the mesh is formed of polyethylene terephthalate.

35. The catheter section of claim 28, further comprising at least one radio-opaque band near or at the distal end of the flexible joint region.

36. The catheter section of claim 28, wherein the wire lumen further comprises a braid along at least a substantial portion of the wire lumen.

37. The catheter section of claim 36, wherein the braid terminates proximally of the flexible joint region.

38. The catheter section of claim 28, wherein the main lumen further comprises a lining along at least a substantial portion of the main lumen.

39. The catheter section of claim 38, wherein the lining comprises a lubricious lining.

40. The catheter section of claim 28, wherein the wire lumen further comprises a lining along at least a substantial portion of the wire lumen.

41. The catheter section of claim 40, wherein the lining comprises a lubricious lining.

42. The catheter section of claim 35, wherein said push-pull wire extends through said opening of said wire lumen at said distal end of said flexible joint region, and is attached to said marker band.