Variable curve catheter
AssigneeHealth & Human Services - NIH
InventorsParag Karmarkar, Robert Lederman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a deflectable tip guiding device, such as a catheter, that enables a physician, or other health care personnel, to vary the radius of curvature of the tip of the device. In one embodiment, a guiding device includes an elongate body and a deflectable distal tip. An elongate stiffener tube is coupled to the body for longitudinal movement relative thereto and has a distal end spaced a variable distance from the distal end of the tip, thereby serving as a fulcrum for the tip. Longitudinal movement of the stiffener tube relative to the body varies the distance between the distal ends of the tip and tube, which in turn causes a corresponding increase or decrease in the radius of curvature of the tip.
Claims44
A catheter comprising:
- an elongate body;
- a distal section coupled to the body, the distal section being deflectable upon application of an external force by a user;
- a longitudinally extending inner lumen defined by the body and the tip, the lumen being adapted to deliver a diagnostic, prophylactic, or therapeutic agent into a subject;
- a curvature-adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the radius of curvature of the distal section.
A catheter comprising:
- an elongate body,
- a distal section coupled to the body, the distal section being deflectable upon application of an external force by a user, the distal section comprising an elongate flexible outer tube and an elongate slotted tube having a plurality of slots spaced longitudinally along one side of said slotted tube, with said slotted tube extending longitudinally through a major portion of said outer tube,
- a longitudinally extending inner lumen defined by the body and distal section adapted to deliver a diagnostic, prophylactic, or therapeutic agent into a subject, and
- a curvature-adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the radius of curvature of the distal section comprising an elongate stiffener tube which is slidable longitudinally relative to the body, the curvature-adjustment mechanism providing a fulcrum spaced a distance from the distal end of the distal section, with said distance being variable by longitudinal movement of the stiffener tube to vary the radius of curvature of the distal section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.