Deflectable variable radius catheters
First Claim
1. A catheter comprising:
- a proximal section comprising a shaft and a control section at a proximal end of the shaft, the control section operably connected to two or more bidirectional control wires and a variable radius control wire;
a distal section comprising at least one electrode along a length of the distal section, a connection point for the variable radius control wire, and a connection point for each of the two or more bidirectional control wires, at least a portion of the distal section biased into a loop having a radius; and
a first compression coil housed within at least one of the proximal section and the distal section,wherein at least one of the bidirectional control wires is contained in the first compression coil,wherein engaging one or more of the bidirectional control wires causes a left to right motion in the distal section, andwherein moving the variable radius control wire in a direction approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft modifies the radius of the loop.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a deflectable catheter capable of forming many variable radius spiral forms from a single, flexible, distal end section. In one aspect, the catheter employs a variable radius control wire to extend or deform a pre-formed loop structure into a three dimensional spiral-like form or geometry. The ability of a single catheter to create a multitude of shapes and sizes allows users to access to a number of anatomical areas without changing the catheter during a procedure or treatment. In another aspect, the invention encompasses methods of producing deflectable variable radius catheters, where two or more regions of the catheter having common control wires are fused or formed onto one another.
145 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A catheter comprising:
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a proximal section comprising a shaft and a control section at a proximal end of the shaft, the control section operably connected to two or more bidirectional control wires and a variable radius control wire; a distal section comprising at least one electrode along a length of the distal section, a connection point for the variable radius control wire, and a connection point for each of the two or more bidirectional control wires, at least a portion of the distal section biased into a loop having a radius; and a first compression coil housed within at least one of the proximal section and the distal section, wherein at least one of the bidirectional control wires is contained in the first compression coil, wherein engaging one or more of the bidirectional control wires causes a left to right motion in the distal section, and wherein moving the variable radius control wire in a direction approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft modifies the radius of the loop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification