Catheter device with a flexible housing

• US 5,695,506 A
• Filed: 02/06/1996
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc. (Eli Lilly and Company)
• Inventors: Pike, Kelly, Argus, Scott, Hancock, David, Chiang, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASCHE, PATRICK WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/596,030
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 606/159, 606/167, 606/170, 606/171, 606/180, 604/22, 128/750-755
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320783 through side-hole, e.g. sliding or rotating cutter inside catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0662 Guide tubes

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a catheter device for use in a biological conduit. The catheter device has a catheter body with a housing and a torque cable lumen, a torque cable, a work element, and a connector. The housing is flexible. The torque cable extends through the catheter body to the housing via the torque cable lumen and is capable of rotation and translation with respect to the catheter body. The work element is slidably positioned in the housing. The housing has an interior which guides the work element in response to rotation and translation of the torque cable. The connector attaches the work element to the torque cable. The connector is flexible to facilitate flexion between the work element and the torque cable when the housing flexes.

Claims

1. A catheter device insertable into a biological conduit, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter body defining a torque cable lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end;

a housing connected to the distal end of the catheter body, the housing being flexible and defining an opening;

a torque cable extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the catheter body through the torque cable lumen, the torque cable being capable of sliding with respect to the torque cable lumen;

a work element slidably disposed within the housing; and

a connector interconnecting the work element and the torque cable, the connector being flexible and including a flex tube, the flex tube having multiple radial slots to facilitate flexion of the connector, the work element being formed unitary with the connector,

whereby when the housing flexes and the torque cable slides the work element, the connector flexes and the housing guides the work element within the housing.

2. A catheter device insertable into a biological conduit, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter body defining a torque cable lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end;

a housing connected to the distal end of the catheter body, the housing being flexible and defining an opening;

a torque cable extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the catheter body through the torque cable lumen, the torque cable being capable of sliding with respect to the torque cable lumen;

a work element slidably disposed within the housing; and

a flexible connector interconnecting the work element and the torque cable, the connector including a flex tube having multiple radial slots to facilitate flexion of the connector, the flex tube having two ends, the work element being formed integral with the connector and having an arcuate cutting edge defined by one end of the flex tube, the other end of the flex tube being attached to the torque cable,

whereby when the housing flexes and the torque cable slides the work element, the connector flexes and the housing guides the work element within the housing.

3. A catheter device insertable into a biological conduit, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter body defining a torque cable lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end;

a housing with a longitudinal axis connected to the distal end of the catheter body, the housing is flexible and defines an opening, the housing flexes when inserted into a biological conduit;

a torque cable extending between the proximal end of the catheter body through the torque cable lumen towards the distal end, the torque cable defining a portion of a guidewire lumen;

a work element disposed within the housing, the work element defining a portion of the guidewire lumen; and

a connector attached to the work element and to the torque cable, the connector being bendable with the longitudinal axis of the housing, the connector defining a portion of the guidewire lumen, the connector being rotationally rigid to transmit torque from the torque cable via the connector to the work element and transmitting said torque while not rotationally deforming, the connector being axially rigid to maintain a constant length in response to axial forces transmitted from the torque cable via the connector to the work element,

whereby when the housing flexes and the torque cable moves to actuate the work element within the housing, the connector bends and the housing retains the work element.