In-vivo modification of the mechanical properties of surgical devices
First Claim
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1. A medical device for insertion into and transport through a patient'"'"'s vascular system, comprising:
- an elongate member including a shaft, said shaft having a selected region formed of material having mechanical properties subject to change upon variation of said material'"'"'s operating temperature; and
means for communicating a temperature controlled fluid to the selected region of said shaft for varying the selected region'"'"'s operating temperature without varying the operating temperature of an unselected region of the shaft of the elongate member, whereby the mechanical properties of the selected region of the shaft can be changed without changing the mechanical properties of the unselected region of the shaft of the elongate member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The mechanical properties of various angioplastic surgical devices are altered in order to enhance their transportability through the vascular system by changing their operating temperature while situated within the body. Temperature increases are utilized to increase flexibility or cause devices to assume certain configurations while a temperature decrease serves to increase stiffness and rupture strength.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A medical device for insertion into and transport through a patient'"'"'s vascular system, comprising:
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an elongate member including a shaft, said shaft having a selected region formed of material having mechanical properties subject to change upon variation of said material'"'"'s operating temperature; and means for communicating a temperature controlled fluid to the selected region of said shaft for varying the selected region'"'"'s operating temperature without varying the operating temperature of an unselected region of the shaft of the elongate member, whereby the mechanical properties of the selected region of the shaft can be changed without changing the mechanical properties of the unselected region of the shaft of the elongate member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A dilatation catheter system, comprising:
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a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end formed of a material which becomes increasingly flexible as its operating temperature is increased; and control means for communicating a temperature controlled fluid to the distal end of the shaft for increasing the temperature of said distal end without increasing the temperature of the proximal end of the shaft whereby the distal end can be made increasingly flexible by increasing the temperature of the distal end of the shaft, without increasing the flexibility of the proximal end of the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A balloon catheter system for insertion into and transport through a patient'"'"'s vascular system, comprising:
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an elongate tubular member having a proximal portion and a distal portion; an inflatable member carried by the distal portion of elongate tubular member, said inflatable member being formed of polymeric material which permits said inflatable member to assume an increasingly tightly folded configuration as its temperature is increased and increased rupture strength as its temperature is decreased; and control means for introducing temperature controlled fluid into the distal portion of said elongate tubular member and said inflatable member for varying the temperature of said distal portion of said elongate tubular member and said inflatable member without varying the temperature of said proximal portion of the elongate tubular member.
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11. A method for varying the flexibility of a catheter, said device having an elongate member having a shaft having a selected region formed of a material having mechanical properties subject to change upon variation of said material'"'"'s operating temperature by a control means, the method comprising:
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introducing said elongate member into the vasculature of the patient; transporting said elongate member through the vasculature; and communicating a temperature controlled fluid to the selected region of the shaft of the elongate member for varying the temperature of said selected region of the shaft of the elongate member without varying the temperature of an unselected region of the shaft of the elongate member to change the flexibility of said selected region without changing the flexibility of the unselected region. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A medical device for insertion into and transport through a patient'"'"'s vascular system, comprising:
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an elongate member formed of material having mechanical properties subject to change upon variation of the temperature of the material, said elongate member having a shaft with a proximal portion and a distal portion; means for communicating a temperature controlled fluid to a selected portion of the shaft of the elongate member for varying the temperature of the selected portion of the shaft of said elongate member without varying the temperature of an unselected portion of the shaft of said elongate member, whereby the mechanical properties of the selected portion of the shaft of said elongate member can be changed without changing the mechanical properties of the unselected portion of the shaft of said elongate member. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification