CATHETER WITH ADJUSTABLE DEFLECTION SENSITIVITY

• US 20100069834A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Schultz, Jeffrey William
• Granted Patent: US 8,137,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/95.40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

A catheter that provides bi-directional steering and allows for deflection sensitivity adjustment includes a catheter body, a deflectable tip section and a control handle, wherein the control handle has a deflection member adapted for user manipulation, a deflection assembly responsive to the deflection member to draw on a tensile puller member for deflecting the tip section, and an adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust sensitivity of the deflection member. The adjustment mechanism also correspondingly adjusts a maximum degree of deflection of the tip section. The deflection assembly includes a rotatable pulley arm and two pulleys, and a deflection sensitivity adjustment mechanism with a cam device that varies a separation distance between the pulleys. The cam device is internally located in the pulley arm and is rotatable via deflection sensitivity knob by the user to increase the separation distance for greater deflection sensitivity in a deflection member user interface, or to decrease the separation distance for greater maximum degree of tip deflection.

Claims

1. A bi-directional catheter comprising:

a catheter body;

a deflectable tip section distal the catheter body;

tensile puller members; and

a control handle proximal the catheter body, the control handle having;

a deflection member adapted for user manipulation;

a deflection assembly responsive to the deflection member to draw on a tensile puller member for deflecting the tip section; and

an adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust sensitivity of the deflection member to manipulation of the deflection member.

2. A catheter of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism correspondingly adjusts a maximum degree of deflection of the tip section.

3. A catheter of claim 1, wherein the deflection assembly includes:

a pulley arm adapted to rotate about a rotation axis; and

two pulleys located at opposite positions across the rotation axis,

wherein a separation distance between the pulleys is adjustable by the adjustment mechanism.

4. A catheter of claim 3, wherein a respective tensile puller member is actuated by a respective pulley to deflect the tip section.

5. A catheter of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a cam device adapted to act on the deflection assembly.

6. A catheter of claim 3, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a cam device adapted to change the separation distance.

7. A catheter of claim 1, wherein each tensile puller member includes a fiber portion that extends through the deflection assembly.

8. A catheter of claim 1, further comprising a tension adjustment mechanism adapted for user adjustment of deflection member resistance to manipulation.

9. A catheter of claim 5, wherein the cam device is within a pulley arm of the deflection assembly.

10. A catheter adapted for bi-directional deflection, the catheter comprising:

a catheter body;

a tip section distal the catheter body;

a control handle proximal the catheter body; and

first and second tensile puller members extending between the tip section and the control handle,

wherein the control handle includes;

a deflection assembly having a pulley arm rotatable about an axis, the assembly including two pulleys at opposing locations across the axis, each tensile puller member extending through the deflection assembly and trained on a respective pulley for deflecting the tip section; and

a deflection sensitivity adjustment mechanism including a cam device adapted to adjust a separation distance between the pulleys.

11. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the control handle further comprises a deflection member adapted for user manipulation to rotate the pulley arm to deflect the tip section.

12. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the separation distance is adjustable between a maximum separation for greater sensitivity and a minimum separation for lesser sensitivity.

13. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the control handle further comprises a deflection tension mechanism adapted to enable adjustment of resistance to the deflection assembly to user deflection manipulation.

14. A catheter of claim 10, wherein each of the tensile puller members has a fiber portion that extends through the deflection assembly.

15. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the cam device is positioned between the pulleys and the cam device has extended portions in contact with the pulley that change the separation distance upon rotation of the cam device.

16. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the cam device is positioned between the pulleys and each pulley has a least one linkage in contact with the cam device such that rotation of the cam device changes the separation distance.

17. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the pulleys are biased against separation from each other.

18. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the deflection assembly and the deflection sensitivity adjustment mechanism share a common axis of rotation.

19. A catheter of claim 13, wherein the deflection assembly, the deflection sensitivity adjustment mechanism and the tension mechanism share a common axis of rotation.

20. A catheter of claim 10, wherein the cam device is positioned inside the deflection assembly.