# US 12,005,203 B2 · Articulating shaft for a steerable catheter system and fabrication method

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- Number: US 12,005,203 B2
- Document ID: US12005203B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/122,565
- Filed: 2020-12-15
- Published: 2021-06-17
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-17
- Assignees: Creganna Unlimited Company
- Applicants: Creganna Unlimited Company
- Inventors: Damian Muldoon; Bernard McDermott
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005203B2

## CPC

- A61M 25/0147: {with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires}
- A61M 25/0013: {Weakening parts of a catheter tubing, e.g. by making cuts in the tube or reducing thickness of a layer at one point to adjust the flexibility}
- A61M 25/0138: {having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- A61M 2207/00: Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING

## Abstract

An articulating shaft for a steerable catheter system includes a tubular body and a plurality of wire support elements integrally formed from a single piece with the tubular body. The tubular body has a longitudinal central axis and a sealed lumen with a distal opening and a proximal opening. The wire support elements support an actuating wire. Each of the wire support elements has a feed-through opening receiving the actuating wire. A pair of adjacent wire support elements are separated from each other in an axial direction by a slot.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An articulating shaft for a steerable catheter system, comprising:
a tubular body having a longitudinal central axis and a radially sealed lumen with a distal opening and a proximal opening; and
a plurality of wire support elements integrally formed from a single piece with the tubular body and supporting an actuating wire, each of the wire support elements has a feed-through opening receiving the actuating wire, a pair of adjacent wire support elements of the plurality of wire support elements are separated from each other in an axial direction by a slot, each of the wire support elements has a bracket separated from the tubular body by a void, the feed-through opening is arranged at the bracket and the void is positioned between the feed-through opening and the radially sealed lumen in a radial direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The articulating shaft of claim 1, wherein the slot extends by at least 45° in the radial direction around the tubular body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The articulating shaft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wire support elements include a first row of wire support elements and a second row of wire support elements extending along the longitudinal central axis, the first row and the second row are arranged opposite to one another in the radial direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The articulating shaft of claim 3, wherein the feed-through openings in the first row are aligned opposite to the feed-through openings in the second row.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The articulating shaft of claim 1, wherein the shaft has a circular radial outline.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The articulating shaft of claim 5, wherein the radially sealed lumen is arranged concentrically with the circular radial outline of the shaft.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The articulating shaft of claim 5, wherein the radially sealed lumen is arranged within the circular radial outline with a central axis of the radially sealed lumen distanced from the longitudinal central axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The articulating shaft of claim 1, wherein the shaft is formed from a 3D printed biocompatible material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The articulating shaft of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcement lumen receiving a reinforcing wire.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The articulating shaft of claim 9, wherein the reinforcement lumen is segmented by the slot.