Controlling shaft bending moment and whipping in a tendon deflection or other tendon system
AssigneeAbbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
InventorsWilliam Earl Webler, Robert Havzelden
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Abstract
A tendon deflection system including a shaft, a plurality of tendons movably disposed within the shaft, and a force-balancing element coupled to the tendons. In a first section, the plurality of tendons are arranged around the shaft at equal angles to each other and at an equal distance from the center of the shaft. The tendons operating in concert with the force-balancing element minimize the moment expressed in the first section. The second section is deflectable and includes at least one tendon, extending from the plurality of tendons in the first section, which is arranged along one side of the shaft such that the bending moment expressed in the second section is greater than the first section.
Claims10
A method comprising:
- disposing a plurality of tendons on at least one of a wall and a lumen of a first portion of a shaft;
- coupling a portion of at least one of the plurality of tendons to a second portion of the shaft;
- and
- coupling a force-balancing element to the plurality of tendons such that exertion of a force on the plurality of tendons by the force-balancing element causes operation of the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.