Aspiration systems and methods, and expanding-mouth catheters
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorsEric Mintz, Ujwal Jalgaonkar, Emma Hurst, Kevin V. Nguyen, Edwin Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some examples, a catheter includes an expandable member configured to expand radially outward from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The expandable member is configured to be expanded and contracted in a controlled manner, e.g., in response to user actuation or automatically under the control of control circuitry of a device. For example, in some examples, control circuitry of a device can be configured to control the expandable member to expand and contract according to a predetermined expansion frequency or according to an expansion frequency determined based on a cardiac cycle of a patient.
Claims20
A catheter comprising:
- an elongated body defining an inner lumen and a central longitudinal axis, the elongated body comprising an expandable member at a distal portion of the elongated body, the expandable member comprising:
- a slidable leg configured to move proximally and distally along the central longitudinal axis;
- a first fixed leg;
- a second fixed leg, wherein the slidable leg is disposed between the first and second fixed legs;
- a first strut having a first end hingedly connected to the slidable leg and a second end hingedly connected to the first fixed leg;
- and
- a second strut having a third end hingedly connected to the slidable leg and a fourth end hingedly connected to the second fixed leg, wherein a proximal motion of the slidable leg relative to the first and second fixed legs causes the first and second fixed legs to expand radially outward,
- wherein the slidable leg, the first fixed leg, and the second fixed leg are disposed around a circumference of the expandable member.
A catheter comprising:
- an elongated body having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
- a handle coupled to the proximal portion of the elongated body;
- and
- an expandable member coupled to the distal portion of the elongated body, the expandable member comprising:
- a slidable leg configured to move proximally and distally along the central longitudinal axis;
- a first fixed leg;
- a second fixed leg, wherein the slidable leg is disposed between the first and second fixed legs;
- and
- a first strut having a first end hingedly connected to the slidable leg and a second end hingedly connected to the first fixed leg;
- and
- a second strut having a first end hingedly connected to the slidable leg and a second end hingedly connected to the second fixed leg, wherein a proximal motion of the slidable leg relative to the first and second fixed legs causes the first and second fixed legs to expand radially outward,
- wherein the slidable leg, the first fixed leg, and the second fixed leg are disposed around a circumference of the expandable member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.