Catheter with steerable distal end
First Claim
1. A catheter comprising an elongated flexible tubular member including a distal end portion having a first flexibility, an intermediate portion having a lesser second flexibility and at least one longitudinally extending lumen, said tubular member having an at least substantially circular external cross-sectional outline;
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being a band and being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion; and
a guide for said element, said guide being disposed within said outline of said tubular member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter for introduction into blood vessels or other passages in a patient'"'"'s body has an elongated flexible tubular member with a readily flexible distal end portion, a less flexible intermediate portion and a proximal end portion. The distal end portion can be bent relative to the intermediate portion by a wire-, filament- or strip-shaped flexing element which extends through a lumen of the intermediate portion and through an extension of such lumen in the distal end portion and has a distal end affixed to the tip of the distal end portion. The intermediate portion is made stiffer than the distal end portion of the tubular member by appropriate shaping of the cross-sectional area of the intermediate portion and/or by resorting to one or more stiffening elements, such as a sleeve-like guide surrounding the flexing element in the respective lumen of the intermediate portion of the tubular member. The proximal end of the flexing element can be pulled, to thereby flex the distal end portion relative to the intermediate portion of the tubular member, by a rotary or reciprocable manipulator at the proximal end of the tubular member.
237 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A catheter comprising an elongated flexible tubular member including a distal end portion having a first flexibility, an intermediate portion having a lesser second flexibility and at least one longitudinally extending lumen, said tubular member having an at least substantially circular external cross-sectional outline;
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being a band and being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion; and
a guide for said element, said guide being disposed within said outline of said tubular member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34)
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being a band and being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion; and
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30. A catheter comprising an elongated flexible tubular member including a distal end portion having a first flexibility, an intermediate portion having a lesser second flexibility and at least one longitudinally extending lumen, said tubular member having an at least substantially circular external cross-sectional outline;
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion and said intermediate portion including a first section having a greater wall thickness and being adjacent said flexing element and a second section of lesser wall thickness remote from said flexing element, said first section having at least one longitudinally extending second lumen, said at least one lumen having a first cross-sectional area and said at least one second lumen having a smaller second cross-sectional area; and
a guide for said element, said guide being disposed within said outline of said tubular member.
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion and said intermediate portion including a first section having a greater wall thickness and being adjacent said flexing element and a second section of lesser wall thickness remote from said flexing element, said first section having at least one longitudinally extending second lumen, said at least one lumen having a first cross-sectional area and said at least one second lumen having a smaller second cross-sectional area; and
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31. A catheter comprising an elongated flexible tubular member incuding a distal end portion having a first flexibility, an intermediate portion having a lesser second flexibility and at least one longitudinally extending lumen, said tubular member having an at least substantially circular external cross-sectional outline;
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion and said intermediate portion having a second lumen for a first portion of said flexing element, said second lumen having an extension provided in said distal end portion and receiving a second portion of said flexing element, said first portion of said flexing element being disposed at a first distance and said second portion of said flexing element being disposed at a lesser second distance from an external surface of said tubular member; and
a guide for said element, said guide being disposed within said outline of said tubular member.
- means for deforming said distal end portion including an elongated flexing element extending within said cross-sectional outline from said distal end portion, through said intermediate portion and to a proximal end portion of said tubular member, said flexing element being movable relative to and longitudinally of said intermediate portion and said intermediate portion having a second lumen for a first portion of said flexing element, said second lumen having an extension provided in said distal end portion and receiving a second portion of said flexing element, said first portion of said flexing element being disposed at a first distance and said second portion of said flexing element being disposed at a lesser second distance from an external surface of said tubular member; and
Specification