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US 10,881,418 B2Granted
Electrically controllable surgical tools
AssigneeMaine Medical Center
InventorsRobert D. Ecker, Mohsen Shahinpoor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to electrically controllable surgical tools. In general, surgical devices are provided having an electrically controllable, fingered operating end for use in angiography, endovascular and/or neurological surgery. The finger(s) at the operating end can be made from ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) material to facilitate control of the finger(s).
Claims14
A surgical tool, comprising:
- a tubular member having an operating end including a plurality of fingers each configured to deform in response to a single electric field;
- and
- first and second electrodes configured to provide the electric field;
- wherein the operating end is configured to be advanced into vasculature of a patient within which the first and second electrodes are configured to provide the electric field, thereby causing deformation of the fingers within the vasculature;
- and
- wherein the first electrode is external to the second electrode, which is internal to the first electrode;
- wherein the fingers each extend distally from the first and second electrodes;
- wherein a distal surface of the first electrode is attached to a proximal surface of each of the fingers;
- and
- wherein the first electrode is U-shaped, and the distal surface of the first electrode includes distal surfaces at opposed terminal ends of the first electrode.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.