CATHETER ARTICULATION SEGMENT WITH ALTERNATING CUTS
First Claim
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 defininga plurality of first slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each first slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the first slits are aligned along a first path,a plurality of second slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each second slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the second slits are aligned along a second path, wherein the second path is substantially diametrically opposite to the first path relative to the longitudinal axis for selective bending of the catheter along a first plane,a plurality of third slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each third slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the third slits are aligned along a third path that is azimuthally offset from both the first path and the second path,a plurality of fourth slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each fourth slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the fourth slits are aligned along a fourth path, wherein the fourth path is substantially diametrically opposite to the third path relative to the longitudinal axis for selective bending of the catheter along a second plane that is different from the first plane.
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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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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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 defining a plurality of first slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each first slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the first slits are aligned along a first path, a plurality of second slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each second slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the second slits are aligned along a second path, wherein the second path is substantially diametrically opposite to the first path relative to the longitudinal axis for selective bending of the catheter along a first plane, a plurality of third slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each third slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the third slits are aligned along a third path that is azimuthally offset from both the first path and the second path, a plurality of fourth slits cut through the wall in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with each fourth slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and defining a center midway therebetween, wherein the respective centers of the fourth slits are aligned along a fourth path, wherein the fourth path is substantially diametrically opposite to the third path relative to the longitudinal axis for selective bending of the catheter along a second plane that is different from the first plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification