MEDICAL DEVICE WITH DISTAL TORQUE CONTROL

• US 20180008166A1
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micronovus, LLC
• Original Assignee: Micronovus, LLC
• Inventors: Giles, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 10,391,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00064 Constructional details of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0012 with embedded structures, e.g. coils, braids, meshes, strands or radiopaque coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/013 One-way gripping collars
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0133 Tip steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0138 having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09041 Mechanisms for insertion of guide wires

Abstract

A catheter with a distal end that rotates through the conversion of linear motion to rotational motion, thus the distal end may be rotated without longitudinally advancing or retracting the distal end. The catheter includes a tube with a single helix or a dual chirality helix cut into the tube, a distal end segment, means for linear displacement of the helix, and means for coupling the junction point of the helix to the distal segment.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a tubular member with a longitudinal axis having a distal end and a proximal end comprising;

a distal aspect terminating at the distal end with a distal helix formed by distal helical cut terminating at the proximal side of the distal aspect;

a proximal aspect terminating at the proximal end with a proximal helix formed by proximal helical cut terminating at the distal side of the proximal aspect, wherein the proximal helical cut is one of right or left handed and the distal helical cut is the other of right and left handed; and

a junction where the distal aspect and the proximal aspect are joined;

a longitudinal displacer disposed within the tubular member and slidable relative to the tubular member; and

a distal segment disposed around part of the tubular member and coupled to the tubular member at the junction.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the distal helical cut has a distal helical cut width and the proximal helical cut has a proximal helical cut width, and wherein the distal helical cut width is equal to the proximal helical cut width.

3. The medical device of claim 2, wherein the distal and proximal cut widths are in a range of about 0.1 micrometers to about 30 millimeters.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the distal helical cut has a distal helical cut angle relative to the longitudinal axis and the proximal helical cut has a proximal helical cut angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the distal helical cut angle is equal and opposite of the proximal helical cut angle.

5. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the distal and proximal helical cut angles are between about 10 and about 80 degrees

6. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the tubular member is made of one or more of:

polyimide, polyurethane, polyether block amide, nylon, nickel titanium, stainless steel braiding, and hollow helical stranded tubing. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the coupling means comprises at least one of;

     1) adhesive,

     2) welding,

     3) brazing,

     4) soldering, and

     5) mechanical linking.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal displacer is coupled to the distal segment.

9. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal displacer comprises a longitudinal member with an outer diameter, and the tubular member has inner diameter such that the inner diameter of the tubular member is greater than the outer diameter of the longitudinal member except for a portion between the distal end of the distal aspect and the junction where the inner diameter of the tubular member is reduced to less than the outer diameter of the longitudinal member such that longitudinal movement of the longitudinal member toward the distal end of the tubular member imparts longitudinal force on the distal aspect.

10. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a cap disposed on the distal end of the tubular member obstructing forward movement of the longitudinal displacer.

11. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal displacer comprises a membrane configured to elongate when fluid is injected and longitudinally displace the junction.

12. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first magnetic element disposed on the distal aspect of the tubular member;

a second magnetic element disposed on the proximal aspect of the tubular member; and

a power source configured to energize at least one of the first and second magnetic elements.

13. The medical device of claim 12, where the first magnetic element is one of:

a magnet, an electret, a wire, and a coil configured to carrying current and generate a magnetic field;

and wherein the second magnetic element is one of;

a magnet, a ferromagnetic material, an electret, a wire, and a coil configured to carrying current and generate a magnetic field.

14. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the distal and proximal helices are comprised of at least one of:

a shape memory alloy and a shape memory polymer.

15. A medical device comprising:

a tubular member with a longitudinal axis having a distal end and a proximal end comprising;

a distal aspect terminating at the distal end with a distal helix formed by a distal helical cut terminating at the proximal side of the distal aspect and the distal end is curved; and

a proximal aspect terminating at the proximal end; and

a longitudinal displacer disposed within the tubular member and slidable relative to the tubular member and configured to impart longitudinal force on the helix;

16. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the distal cut width is in a range of about 0.1 micrometers to about 30 millimeters.

17. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the distal helical cut angle is between about 10 and about 80 degrees

18. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the tubular member is made of one or more of:

polyimide, polyurethane, polyether block amide, nylon, nickel titanium, stainless steel braiding, and hollow helical stranded tubing.

19. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the longitudinal displacer comprises a longitudinal member with an outer diameter, and the tubular member has inner diameter such that the inner diameter of the tubular member is greater than the outer diameter of the longitudinal member except for a portion of the distal end of the distal aspect distal to the helical cut where the inner diameter of the tubular member is reduced to less than the outer diameter of the longitudinal member such that longitudinal movement of the longitudinal member toward the distal end of the tubular member imparts longitudinal force on the distal aspect.

20. The medical device of claim 15, further comprising:

a cap disposed on the distal end of the tubular member obstructing forward movement of the longitudinal displacer.

21. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the longitudinal displacer comprises a membrane configured to elongate when fluid is injected and longitudinally displace the distal aspect.

22. The medical device of claim 15, further comprising:

a first magnetic element disposed on one of the distal aspect and the proximal aspect of the tubular member;

a second magnetic element disposed on the other of the distal aspect and the proximal of the tubular member; and

a power source configured to energize at least one of the first and second magnetic elements;

wherein the first magnetic element is one of;

a magnet, an electret, a wire, and a coil configured to carrying current and generate a magnetic field; and

wherein the second magnetic element is one of;

a magnet, a ferromagnetic material, an electret, a wire, and a coil configured to carrying current and generate a magnetic field.