Displacement device for a catheter

• US 20050107769A1
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carag AG
• Original Assignee: Carag AG
• Inventors: Thommen, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,381,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/528
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for adjustably displacing the distal end of a flexible catheter tube (1). Said device comprises a spring-elastic guide wire (2) with a spiral end section (2′) which can be displaced inside the tube (1) until the desired angle of displacement is obtained.

Claims

1. A device for adjustably displacing a distal end portion of a flexible catheter tube, said device having a guide wire made of spring-elastic material, which guide wire is intended to be guided slidably through the catheter tube into a neutral position or starting position, in such a way that, when the wire is drawn to a greater or lesser extent from its starting position, the end portion of the flexible catheter tube is displaced, characterized in that the guide wire has a spirally shaped end portion, and, in the neutral or starting position, the spirally shaped wire end lies directly in front of said outer end of the catheter tube in such a way that, when the wire is drawn from its starting position into the flexible catheter tube, the end portion of the latter is displaced under the action of the spring force of the spirally shaped wire end which necessarily opens out.

2. A catheter, in particular a cardiac catheter, with a flexible catheter tube and a device for adjustably displacing the distal end portion of the catheter tube as claimed in claim 1, the displacement device being formed by a guide wire made of spring-elastic material, which guide wire is intended to be guided slidably through the catheter tube into a neutral position or starting position, in such a way that, when the wire is drawn to a greater or lesser extent from its starting position, the end portion of the flexible catheter tube is displaced;

characterized in that the guide wire has a spirally shaped end portion, and, in the neutral or starting position, the spirally shaped wire end lies directly in front of said outer end of the catheter tube in such a way that, when the wire is drawn from its starting position into the flexible catheter tube, the end portion of the latter is displaced by an adjustable angle under the action of the spring force of the spirally shaped wire end which necessarily opens out.

3. The catheter as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a stiff tubular piece is arranged at the distal end of the catheter tube.

4. The catheter as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the stiff tubular piece is a metal sleeve.