Steerable catheter

• US 6,945,956 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Geske, Jeffrey B., Teisanu, Eduard T., Waldhauser, Steven L., Shipe, Gregory P., Skarda, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/328,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 604/523, 604/95.01, 604/264, 604/530, 604/528, 604/532, 604524-527, 606/32, 138/103, 138/120, 138/124, 138/132
• US Class Current: 604/95.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0034 characterized by elements which are assembled, connected or fused, e.g. splittable tubes, outer sheaths creating lumina or separate cores making of catheters A61M25/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0037 characterized by lumina being arranged side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0177 having external means for receiving guide wires, wires or stiffening members, e.g. loops, clamps or lateral tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/018 Catheters having a lateral opening for guiding elongated means lateral to the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0012 with embedded structures, e.g. coils, braids, meshes, strands or radiopaque coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0029 characterized by features relating to least one lumen located at the middle part of the catheter, e.g. slots, flaps, valves, cuffs, apertures, notches, grooves or rapid exchange ports catheter shaft surface irregularities A61M2025/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0053 having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the pitch of the coil or braid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

A steerable catheter and methods of fabrication including a catheter body formed of a continuous wire braid formed of wires braided over a delivery lumen liner and a pull wire lumen liner distal to a pull wire jacket port, braided around the pull wire jacket port to form a braid port, and over at least a portion of the delivery lumen liner proximal to the pull wire jacket port. A pull wire extends from a pull wire proximal end through the pull wire lumen port and through the pull wire lumen to a pull wire distal end. A band is attached to the pull wire distal end and fitted over a distal segment of the wire braid proximal to the catheter body distal end to fix the pull wire distal end to the catheter body and restrain the wire distal end from flaring away from the delivery lumen liner.

Claims

1. A steerable catheter comprising a catheter hub and an elongated catheter body having a catheter body sidewall extending between a catheter body proximal end and a catheter body distal end, the catheter body further comprising:

p1 a delivery lumen liner having a delivery lumen extending between a delivery lumen entry port and a delivery lumen exit port at the catheter body distal end;

a pull wire lumen liner having a pull wire lumen extending between a pull wire jacket port through the sidewall of the catheter body and a pull wire lumen distal end;

a pull wire extend big from a pull wire proximal end through the pull wire jacket port and through the pull wire lumen to a pull wire distal end fixed to the catheter body at the pull wire lumen distal end;

a continuous wire braid formed of wires braided over the delivery lumen liner and the pull wire lumen liner distal to the pull wire jacket port, braided around the pull wire jacket port to form a braid port, and braided over at least a portion of the delivery lumen liner proximal to the pull wire jacket port; and

a polymeric sheath encapsulating the wire braid around the delivery lumen liner and the pull wire lumen liner.

2. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the polymeric sheath is formed of a series of thermoplastic materials having durometers that are progressively softer distally that are thermally bonded to the wire braid, the delivery lumen liner, and the pull wire lumen liner.

3. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a wire coil having a wire coil lumen defining the pull wire lumen.

4. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a wire coil having close wound wire coil turns in a wire coil proximal segment and loose wound wire coil turns in a wire coil distal segment.

5. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a pull wire lumen sheath having a pull wire lumen sheath lumen and a wire coil fitted into the pull wire lumen sheath and having a wire coil lumen defining the pull wire lumen.

6. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a pull wire lumen sheath having a pull wire lumen sheath lumen and a wire coil fitted into the pull wire lumen sheath and having a wire coil lumen defining the pull wire lumen, the wire coil having close wound wire coil turns in a wire coil proximal segment and loose wound wire coil turns in a wire coil distal segment.

7. The steerable catheter of claim 1, wherein the pull wire further comprises a band attached to the pull wire distal end and embedded within a polymeric sheath over the wire braid proximal to the catheter body distal end.

8. The steerable catheter of claim 7, wherein the wire braid wires are formed of high tensile strength materials and extend from the catheter body proximal end to the band attached to the pull wire distal end, and the band is fitted over a distal segment of the wire braid and restrains distal ends of the wires from flaring away from the delivery lumen liner.

9. A steerable catheter comprising a catheter hub and an elongated catheter body having a catheter body sidewall extending between a catheter body proximal end and a catheter body distal end, the catheter body further comprising:

a delivery lumen liner having a delivery lumen extending between a delivery lumen entry port and a delivery lumen exit port at the catheter body distal end;

a pull wire lumen liner having a pull wire lumen extending between a pull wire lumen port of the catheter body and a pull wire lumen distal end;

a wire braid formed of high tensile wires braided over the delivery lumen liner and the pull wire lumen liner, the wires extending between wire proximal ends and wire distal ends;

a pull wire extending from a pull wire proximal end through the pull wire lumen port and through the pull wire lumen to a pull wire distal end;

a band attached to the pull wire distal end and fitted over a distal segment of the wire braid proximal to the catheter body distal end to fix the pull wire distal end to the catheter body and to restrain the wire distal end from flaring away from the delivery lumen liner; and

a polymeric sheath encapsulating the wire braid and the delivery lumen liner and the pull wire lumen liner within the wire braid.

10. The steerable catheter of claim 9, wherein the polymeric sheath is formed of a series of thermoplastic materials having durometers that are progressively softer distally that are thermally bonded to the wire braid, the delivery lumen liner, and the pull wire lumen liner.

11. The steerable catheter of claim 9, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a wire coil having close wound wire coil turns in a wire coil proximal segment and loose wound wire coil turns in a wire coil distal segment.

12. The steerable catheter of claim 9, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a wire coil having a wire coil lumen defining the pull wire lumen.

13. The steerable catheter of claim 9, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a pull wire lumen sheath having a pull wire lumen sheath lumen and a wire coil fitted into the pull wire lumen sheath and having a wire coil lumen defining the pull wire lumen.

14. The steerable catheter of claim 9, wherein the pull wire lumen liner comprises a pull wire lumen sheath having a pull wire lumen sheath lumen and a wire coil fitted into the pull wire lumen sheath and having a wire coil lumen defining the pull wire lumen, the wire coil having close wound wire coil turns in a wire coil proximal segment and loose wound wire coil turns in a wire coil distal segment.