Catheter having a steerable tip
First Claim
1. A catheter assembly, comprising an elongated catheter shaft enclosing a lumen for accommodating a guide wire, the catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate region between the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the distal end comprises a steerable tip having (i) a first region, (ii) a second region that is flexible relative to the first region, and (iii) an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator having an upper surface and corresponding sides embedded in the second region and a bottom surface exposed to the lumen, the EMP actuator being configured to cause the steerable tip to deform in response to an electrical control signal;
- and wherein the proximal end comprises a power source that provides the electrical control signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter includes an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator disposed in a steerable tip at the distal end of the catheter. When activated, the EMP actuator deflects the steerable tip through an angle between 0 and 270 degrees, thus permitting the operator to steer the steerable tip through the vasculature. The steerable tip also has at least a first relatively stiff region and a second relatively flexible region, and the EMP actuator is provided next to the first relatively stiff region so that the steerable tip may toward the flexible region when activated. In one implementation, an external interface allows a user to select by name one of many sets of control signals, with each set of control signals being signals calibrated for configuring the catheter to mimic a known catheter.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A catheter assembly, comprising an elongated catheter shaft enclosing a lumen for accommodating a guide wire, the catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate region between the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the distal end comprises a steerable tip having (i) a first region, (ii) a second region that is flexible relative to the first region, and (iii) an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator having an upper surface and corresponding sides embedded in the second region and a bottom surface exposed to the lumen, the EMP actuator being configured to cause the steerable tip to deform in response to an electrical control signal;
- and wherein the proximal end comprises a power source that provides the electrical control signal.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
Specification