Back to results
US 10,441,748 B2Granted
Flexible and/or pushable tubular device
AssigneeGyrus ACMI, Inc.
InventorsTailin Fan, Jane Bareau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The teachings herein relate to devices for insertion into a cavity, opening or other passageway that requires the bending of the device to conform to a curved or even tortuous shape of the path. The devices include axial support components for translating forces for moving the device forward in the path. The axial support components preferably include adjacent components capable of rocking for tilting the device in one or more directions. The device preferably includes one or more lateral support components for limiting any lateral motion of an axial support component relative to an adjacent axial support component.
Claims17
A medical device comprising:
- a tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface, an inner surface, a longitudinal direction along a length of the tubular member, a passage extending from the proximal end to the distal end extending along the longitudinal direction, and a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
- wherein the tubular member includes
- i) a plurality of helical axial support components in a stacked arrangement including at least a first axial support component and a second axial support component located adjacent to and above the first axial support component in the distal direction, wherein each of the plurality of helical axial support components has a top edge surface facing the proximal end and a bottom edge surface facing the distal end,
- the top edge surface of the first axial support component has a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion in sequential order around a circumference of the top edge surface of the first axial support component,
- the bottom edge surface of the second axial support component has a corresponding first portion, a corresponding second portion, a corresponding third portion, and a corresponding fourth portion in sequential order around a circumference of the bottom edge surface of the second axial support component,
- wherein the first and third portions of the top edge surface of the first axial support component contacts the corresponding first and third portions of the bottom edge surface of the second axial support component so that an axial force is translated between the adjacent first and second axial support components, and the second and fourth portions of the top edge surface of the first axial support component are spaced apart from the corresponding second and fourth portions of the bottom edge surface of the second axial support component so that the axial direction can bend between the adjacent first and second axial support components;
- and
- ii) one or more lateral support components in contact with the plurality of helical axial support components for reducing lateral movement between adjacent pairs of the plurality of helical axial support components.
5 more elements
A medical device comprising:
- a tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface, an inner surface, a longitudinal direction along a length of the tubular member, a passage extending from the proximal end to the distal end extending along the longitudinal direction, and a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
- wherein the tubular member includes, in an unbent configuration:
- i) a plurality of helical axial support components in a stacked arrangement including at least a first axial support component and a second axial support component located adjacent to and above the first axial support component in the distal direction, wherein each of the plurality of helical axial support components has a top edge surface facing the proximal end and a bottom edge surface facing the distal end, wherein a first portion of the top edge surface of the first axial support component contacts a corresponding first portion of the bottom edge surface of the second axial support component so that an axial force is translated between the adjacent first and second axial support components, and a second portion of the top edge surface of the first axial support component is spaced apart from a corresponding second portion of the bottom edge surface of the second axial support component so that the axial direction can bend between the adjacent first and second axial support components, wherein the first and second portions of the top edge surface of the first axial support component are at different locations along the circumference of the first axial support component;
- and
- ii) one or more lateral support components in contact with the plurality of helical axial support components for reducing lateral movement between adjacent pairs of the plurality of helical axial support components;
- iii) wherein the tubular member, starting in the unbent configuration, is capable of tilting in different directions, including a forward direction and a backward direction.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.