Controlled steering functionality for implant-delivery tool
First Claim
1. Apparatus for percutaneous access to a body of a patient, comprising:
- a first steerable tube shaped to define a first lumen, and a first coupling at a longitudinal site of the first steerable tube;
a second steerable tube, shaped to define a second lumen and a second coupling, the second coupling being intracorporeally couplable to the first coupling;
a first handle, coupled to a proximal portion of the first steerable tube;
a second handle, coupled to a proximal portion of the second steerable tube; and
an extracorporeal locking system comprising;
a third coupling coupled to a handle selected from the group consisting of;
the first handle and the second handle, and defining a locking location, anda fourth coupling coupled to another handle selected from the group consisting of;
the first handle and the second handle, the fourth coupling being;
configured to engage the third coupling,movable toward the locking location while engaged to the third coupling,coupled to the other handle such that movement of the other handle that moves the fourth coupling toward the locking location also brings the second coupling closer to the first coupling, andconfigured to lock to the third coupling,the apparatus having;
an unlocked state in which at least the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, and the second steerable tube is rotatable within the first lumen, anda locked state in which the second coupling is locked to the first coupling, the locking of the second coupling to the first coupling inhibiting rotation of the second steerable tube within the first lumen, andthe apparatus being configured such that;
the second coupling is advanceable through the first lumen until at least the longitudinal site,the apparatus remains in the unlocked state when the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, proximal to the longitudinal site, andwhen (i) the second coupling is disposed at the longitudinal site and (ii) the second steerable tube is in a given rotational orientation within the first lumen, the apparatus moves into the locked state by the second coupling automatically coupling to the first coupling.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for percutaneous access to a patient'"'"'s body comprising a first steerable tube (12), shaped to define a first lumen, and a first coupling (152) at a longitudinal site of the first tube; and a second steerable tube (14), shaped to define a second lumen and a second coupling (154), the second coupling being intracorporeally couplable to the first coupling, the apparatus having (A) an unlocked state in which the second tube is rotatable within the first lumen, and (B) a locked state in which the second coupling is coupled to the first coupling, and rotation of the second tube is inhibited. The apparatus is configured such that when the second coupling becomes disposed at the longitudinal site in a given rotational orientation of the second tube, the apparatus moves into the locked state by the second coupling automatically coupling to the first coupling. Other embodiments are also described.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. Apparatus for percutaneous access to a body of a patient, comprising:
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a first steerable tube shaped to define a first lumen, and a first coupling at a longitudinal site of the first steerable tube; a second steerable tube, shaped to define a second lumen and a second coupling, the second coupling being intracorporeally couplable to the first coupling; a first handle, coupled to a proximal portion of the first steerable tube; a second handle, coupled to a proximal portion of the second steerable tube; and an extracorporeal locking system comprising; a third coupling coupled to a handle selected from the group consisting of;
the first handle and the second handle, and defining a locking location, anda fourth coupling coupled to another handle selected from the group consisting of;
the first handle and the second handle, the fourth coupling being;configured to engage the third coupling, movable toward the locking location while engaged to the third coupling, coupled to the other handle such that movement of the other handle that moves the fourth coupling toward the locking location also brings the second coupling closer to the first coupling, and configured to lock to the third coupling, the apparatus having; an unlocked state in which at least the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, and the second steerable tube is rotatable within the first lumen, and a locked state in which the second coupling is locked to the first coupling, the locking of the second coupling to the first coupling inhibiting rotation of the second steerable tube within the first lumen, and the apparatus being configured such that; the second coupling is advanceable through the first lumen until at least the longitudinal site, the apparatus remains in the unlocked state when the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, proximal to the longitudinal site, and when (i) the second coupling is disposed at the longitudinal site and (ii) the second steerable tube is in a given rotational orientation within the first lumen, the apparatus moves into the locked state by the second coupling automatically coupling to the first coupling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for percutaneous access to a body of a patient, the method comprising:
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providing; a first steerable tube having a proximal end and a distal end, and defining a first lumen therebetween and a first coupling at a longitudinal site of the first steerable tube, a second steerable tube having a proximal end and a distal end, and defining a second lumen therebetween and a second coupling; a third coupling, coupled to the first steerable tube proximal from the first coupling; and a fourth coupling, coupled to the second steerable tube proximal from the second coupling, transluminally advancing the first steerable tube into the body such that at least the first coupling is disposed inside the body; subsequently, advancing the second steerable tube through the first steerable tube such that (i) the second coupling becomes disposed at the longitudinal site while rotationally offset with respect to the first coupling, and (ii) the third coupling becomes engaged with the fourth coupling; and subsequently, coupling the second coupling to the first coupling by rotating the second steerable tube with respect to the first steerable tube until the second coupling becomes rotationally aligned with respect to the first coupling. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. Apparatus for percutaneous access to a body of a patient, comprising:
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a first steerable tube, having a proximal end and a distal end, and shaped to define; a first lumen between the proximal end and the distal end, and a first coupling at a longitudinal site of the first steerable tube; a second steerable tube, shaped to define a second lumen and a second coupling, the second coupling being intracorporeally couplable to the first coupling; a first handle, coupled to the first steerable tube; a second handle, coupled to the second steerable tube; and an extracorporeal locking system comprising; a third coupling couplable to a handle selected from the group consisting of;
the first handle and the second handle, anda fourth coupling couplable to another handle selected from the group consisting of;
the first handle and the second handle, and configured to be locked to the third coupling,the apparatus having; an unlocked state in which at least the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, and the second steerable tube is rotatable within the first lumen, and a locked state in which the second coupling is coupled to the first coupling, the coupling of the second coupling to the first coupling inhibiting rotation of the second steerable tube within the first lumen, and the apparatus being configured such that; the second coupling is advanceable through the first lumen until at least the longitudinal site, the apparatus remains in the unlocked state when the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, proximal to the longitudinal site, when the second coupling becomes disposed at the longitudinal site in a given rotational orientation of the second steerable tube within the first lumen, the apparatus moves into the locked state by the second coupling automatically coupling to the first coupling, and while the apparatus is not in the locked state, locking of the fourth coupling to the third coupling automatically places the second coupling in the given rotational orientation. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification