Catheter having unirail pullwire architecture
First Claim
1. A steerable catheter, comprising:
- a flexible catheter body including a proximal shaft section, a transition section, and a distal articulating section;
a proximal steering interface coupled to the proximal shaft section;
at least one hollow axially stiffening member extending through the proximal shaft section, the at least one stiffening member being laterally offset from a geometric cross-sectional center of the proximal shaft section;
a plurality of lumens extending through the transition section and the distal articulating section; and
a plurality of pullwires extending through the at least one hollow stiffening member in the proximal shaft section, each pullwire further extending through a respective lumen in the transition section into the distal articulating section, each of the pullwires having a distal end that terminates in the catheter body distal to the distal articulating section and a proximal end that terminates in the proximal steering interface, wherein the proximal steering interface is manipulatable to selectively tension one or more pullwires of the plurality to bend the distal articulating section.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A steerable catheter comprises a flexible catheter body including a proximal shaft section and a distal articulating section, a proximal steering interface coupled to the proximal shaft section, and at least one hollow stiffening member extending through the proximal shaft section. The stiffening member(s) is more rigid than the proximal shaft section and is laterally offset from a geometric cross-sectional center of the proximal shaft section. The steerable catheter further comprises circumferentially spaced lumens extending through the distal articulating section, and pullwires extending through the stiffening member(s) in the proximal shaft section and the respective lumens in the distal articulating section. Each of the pullwires has a distal end that terminates in the catheter body distal to the distal articulating section and a proximal end that terminates in the steering interface. The steering interface is manipulatable to selectively tension the pullwires to bend the distal articulating section.
141 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A steerable catheter, comprising:
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a flexible catheter body including a proximal shaft section, a transition section, and a distal articulating section; a proximal steering interface coupled to the proximal shaft section; at least one hollow axially stiffening member extending through the proximal shaft section, the at least one stiffening member being laterally offset from a geometric cross-sectional center of the proximal shaft section; a plurality of lumens extending through the transition section and the distal articulating section; and a plurality of pullwires extending through the at least one hollow stiffening member in the proximal shaft section, each pullwire further extending through a respective lumen in the transition section into the distal articulating section, each of the pullwires having a distal end that terminates in the catheter body distal to the distal articulating section and a proximal end that terminates in the proximal steering interface, wherein the proximal steering interface is manipulatable to selectively tension one or more pullwires of the plurality to bend the distal articulating section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A steerable catheter, comprising:
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a flexible catheter body including a proximal shaft section and a distal articulating section; a proximal steering interface coupled to the proximal shaft section; one or more hollow axially stiffening members extending through the proximal shaft section, the one or more stiffening members being laterally offset from, and disposed asymmetrically with respect to, a geometric cross-sectional center of the proximal shaft section so as to shift a neutral axis of the proximal shaft section away from said geometric cross-sectional center of the proximal shaft section; a plurality of lumens extending through the distal articulating section; and a plurality of pullwires extending through the one or more stiffening members in the proximal shaft section, each pullwire of the plurality further extending through a respective lumen of the distal articulating section, each of the pullwires having a distal end that terminates in the catheter body distal to the distal articulating section and a proximal end that terminates in the proximal steering interface, wherein the proximal steering interface is manipulatable to selectively tension one or more pullwires of the plurality to bend the distal articulating section. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification