Steerable medical guide wire device
First Claim
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1. A medical device in a guide wire form, comprising:
- one or more sections provided along the length of the guide wire form, divided lengthwise into one or more sections, each section comprising;
one or more layers of a first electrode, wherein at least one of the layers of the first electrode includes a part of an electrode that extends an entire length of the guide wide form;
one or more layers of a second electrode; and
a plurality of electroactive polymer (EAP) layers, wherein each EAP layer is disposed between a layer of the first electrode and a layer of the second electrode, each EAP layer being activated by a voltage across the corresponding layer of the first electrode and the corresponding layer of the second electrode, and wherein the one or more layers of the first electrode, and wherein a first group of the EAP layers and the second group of the EAP layers are independently activated to cause a bending of the guide wire form in a predetermined direction or to achieve a predetermined shape for the guide wire form.
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Abstract
A steerable guide wire including one or more electroactive polymer layers, wherein each EAP layer is disposed between a layer of a first electrode and a layer of a plurality of second electrodes.
97 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A medical device in a guide wire form, comprising:
one or more sections provided along the length of the guide wire form, divided lengthwise into one or more sections, each section comprising; one or more layers of a first electrode, wherein at least one of the layers of the first electrode includes a part of an electrode that extends an entire length of the guide wide form; one or more layers of a second electrode; and a plurality of electroactive polymer (EAP) layers, wherein each EAP layer is disposed between a layer of the first electrode and a layer of the second electrode, each EAP layer being activated by a voltage across the corresponding layer of the first electrode and the corresponding layer of the second electrode, and wherein the one or more layers of the first electrode, and wherein a first group of the EAP layers and the second group of the EAP layers are independently activated to cause a bending of the guide wire form in a predetermined direction or to achieve a predetermined shape for the guide wire form. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A medical device comprising:
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a guide wire including; one or more layers of a first electrode, wherein at least one of the layers of the first electrode includes an electrode that extends an entire length of the guide wide; one or more layers of a plurality of second electrodes; and a plurality of electroactive polymer layers, wherein each electroactive polymer layer is disposed between a layer of a first electrode and a layer of a plurality of second electrodes, each electroactive polymer layer being activated by a voltage across the corresponding layer of the first electrode and the corresponding layer of the second electrode, and wherein the one or more layers of the first electrode, the one or more layers of the plurality of second electrode and the plurality of electroactive polymer layers are arranged in a guide wire form, and wherein at least a first group of the electroactive polymer layers and the second group of the electroactive polymer layers are independently activated to cause a bending of the guide wire form in a predetermined direction or to achieve a predetermined shape for the guide wire form; and a drive unit coupled to the guide wire to generate one or more potential voltages and to apply each of the one or more potential voltages respectively across one or more sets of the first electrode and the second electrode. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A device comprising:
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a guide wire including a plurality of active EAP portions arranged in multiple stacks, wherein the active EAP portions in each stack are aligned with each other, each EAP portion comprising an EAP layer between a layer of a first electrode and a layer of a second electrode, each EAP layer being activated by a voltage across the corresponding layer of first electrode and the corresponding layer of the second electrode, and wherein a first stack of the active EAP portions and the second stack of the active EAP portions are independently activated to cause a bending of the guide wire in a predetermined direction or to achieve a predetermined shape for the guide wire, wherein an electrode in a layer of the first electrode extends an entire length of the guide wide; and a drive unit, coupled to the guide wire, to generate one or more potential voltages and applied to each of the one or more generated voltages to one or more active EAP portions to control one or more physical parameters of the guide wire. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification