Passive control system for an everting sheath
AssigneeUniversity of Washington
InventorsBlake Hannaford, Andrew Lewis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for regulating an eversion process in everting sheath systems to avoid uncontrolled deployment of the sheath. The sheath system includes a reel and a sheath stored thereon, where the sheath is capable of everting from a retracted position to an extended position as the reel rotates about a rotational axis. The rotational characteristics of the reel are controlled by a torque mechanism operable to directly or indirectly apply a passive torque to the reel to adjust a rate at which the sheath is released from the reel as the sheath everts from the retracted position to the extended position.
Claims20
An everting sheath system comprising:
- a reel rotatable about a rotational axis;
- a sheath having an interior cavity extending between a first portion and an opposite second portion of the sheath, wherein the second portion of the sheath is stored on the reel in an inverted configuration, and wherein the second portion of the sheath passes through the interior cavity and the first portion as the reel rotates about the rotational axis, the sheath everting from a retracted position to an extended position where the second portion of the sheath moves distally away relative to the first portion;
- and
- a torque mechanism operably coupled to the reel, the torque mechanism operable to directly or indirectly apply a passive torque to the reel to adjust a rate at which the sheath is released from the reel as the sheath everts from the retracted position to the extended position.
An everting sheath system comprising:
- a reel rotatable about a rotational axis;
- a sheath coupled to the reel, the sheath including a flexible body having a portion of the flexible body inverted into itself when in a retracted position, the flexible body including an interior cavity defined therein, wherein when the interior cavity is pressurized with a fluid, the portion of the flexible body everts from the retracted position to an extended position where the inverted portion of the flexible body extends outwardly through a leading tip at a distal end of the flexible body;
- and
- a torque mechanism operably coupled to the reel, the torque mechanism operable to directly or indirectly apply a passive torque to the reel to adjust a rate at which the sheath is released from the reel as the sheath everts from the retracted position to the extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.