Stylet unit for stiffening a hollow, flexible, elongated component

• US 5,807,339 A
• Filed: 11/29/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Bostrom, Mats, Lindegren, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn Wood
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH TUAN TUONG
• Application Number:
  US08/758,521
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 128/639, 128/772, 604/280, 604/281, 604/282, 604/164, 604/264
• US Class Current: 604/164.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09025 with sliding mandrils
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems

Abstract

A stylet unit which can be introduced into a narrow, hollow, flexible component, such as a hollow electrode cable for a heart stimulator, to stiffen the component and bend its distal end section, is in the form of a double stylet combination with a flexible stylet shell and an internal stylet, movably arranged inside the shell, with a pre-curved distal end section, whose radius of curvature is on a first side of the stylet. In an area before the pre-curved end section, the stylet has a pre-shaped stylet section with a pre-shaped stylet section whose radius of curvature is on the side of the stylet opposite the first side on which the end section'"'"'s radius of curvature lies.

Claims

1. A stylet unit and component combination comprising:

a flexible, tubular stylet shell having an internal longitudinal channel therein;

an internal stylet having a pre-curved distal end section, said internal stylet being slideable within said channel between a retracted position wherein said distal end section is completely contained within said shell and a deployed position wherein said distal end section projects from said shell, said distal end section having a radius of curvature on a first side of said stylet and said stylet having a pre-shaped stylet section preceding said distal end section having a curve with a radius of curvature disposed on an opposite side of said stylet from said first side; and

a hollow, flexible elongated component having a first end section into which the stylet unit is removably introducible for stiffening the component and to bend a second end section of the component, opposite said first end section.

2. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said internal stylet has a proximal end, a distal end disposed at an end of said distal end section and a longitudinal axis extending between said distal end and said proximal end, and a substantially straight section disposed between said proximal end and said pre-shaped section, said substantially straight section, said pre-shaped section and said distal end section all having a substantially straight configuration along said longitudinal axis when said internal stylet is in said retracted position.

3. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pre-shaped section and said distal end section are disposed on a same side of the longitudinal axis in said substantially straight section.

4. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said pre-shaped end section and said distal end section each has a radius of curvature, and wherein said radius of curvature of said pre-shaped section and said radius of curvature of said distal end section are on a same side of said longitudinal axis.

5. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said pre-shaped end section and said distal end section each has a radius of curvature, and wherein said radius of curvature of said pre-shaped section and said radius of curvature of said distal end section are on different sides of said longitudinal axis.

6. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said substantially straight section, said pre-shaped section and said distal end section are disposed adjacent to each other in sequence from said proximal end to said distal end of said internal stylet.

7. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pre-shaped section and said distal end section are disposed in a common plane.

8. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 7 wherein said common plane contains said substantially straight section.

9. A stylet unit and component combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pre-shaped end section and said distal end section each has a radius of curvature, and wherein said radius of curvature of said pre-shaped section is substantially constant within said pre-shaped section and wherein said radius of curvature of said distal end section is substantially constant within said distal end section.