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US 2003/0195605 A1Published application
Cryogenic catheter with deflectable tip
OwnerSteven W. Kovalcheck, John Frederick Hayfieldinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible cryosurgical catheter having a deflectable segment adjacent its distal end, a pull wire through said catheter connected to the deflectable segment, and a deflection mechanism in its handle for pulling on the pull wire to establish a desired curvature in the deflectable segment.
Claims20
A cryosurgical apparatus comprising:
- a cryosurgical refrigeration unit;
- a control handle connected in fluid flow communication with said refrigeration unit;
- a tubular catheter connected in fluid flow communication with said control handle, said control handle for imparting axial torque to rotate said catheter;
- a heat transfer element;
- a tip deflection mechanism in said control handle;
- a pull wire connecting said tip deflection mechanism to said heat transfer element, said tip deflection mechanism being adapted to impart tension to said pull wire;
- a deflectable tubular segment having a proximal end attached to said catheter and a distal end attached to said heat transfer element, said deflectable segment including a spine element having a plurality of stacked flat wires oriented to cause said tubular segment to deflect in a pre-selected plane in response to a tension in said pull wire;
- and
- a refrigerant supply conduit within said catheter, said supply conduit being adapted to supply refrigerant from said refrigeration unit to said heat transfer element.
6 more elements
A cryosurgical apparatus comprising:
- a cryosurgical refrigeration unit;
- a control handle connected in fluid flow communication with said refrigeration unit;
- a tubular catheter connected in fluid flow communication with said control handle, said control handle for imparting axial torque to rotate said catheter;
- a heat transfer element;
- a tip deflection mechanism in said control handle;
- a pull wire connecting said tip deflection mechanism to said heat transfer element, said tip deflection mechanism being adapted to impart tension to said pull wire;
- a deflectable tubular segment having a proximal end attached to said catheter and a distal end attached to said heat transfer element, said deflectable segment including a spine element and a flexible spring tube, said spine element having at least one flat wire oriented to cause said tubular segment to deflect in a pre-selected plane in response to a tension in said pull wire and said flexible spring tube positioned for deflection in said pre-selected plane in response to a tension in said pull wire;
- and
- a refrigerant supply conduit within said catheter, said supply conduit being adapted to supply refrigerant from said refrigeration unit to said heat transfer element.
6 more elements
A method for performing cryosurgery comprising the steps of:
- providing a cryosurgery system including a refrigeration unit, a torque transmitting flexible tubular catheter, a heat transfer element, a pull wire connected to said heat transfer element, a deflectable tubular segment having a proximal end attached to said catheter and a distal end attached to said heat transfer element, said deflectable segment including a spine element having a plurality of stacked flat wires oriented to cause said tubular segment to deflect in a pre-selected plane in response to a tension in said pull wire;
- inserting said heat transfer element into a vascular system of a patient;
- advancing said heat transfer element through the vascular system of the patient;
- tensioning said pull wire to establish a pre-selected curvature of said deflectable segment;
- and
- supplying fluid from said refrigeration unit to lower the temperature of said heat transfer element.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.