Deflectable catheter steering and locking system
AssigneeGreatbatch Ltd.
InventorsBrian Fischer, Bradley Charles Knippel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A deflectable catheter includes a catheter shaft having a deflectable distal tip. A support member is coupled around a proximal portion of the catheter shaft, and the support member includes a first brake portion extending along at least a portion of the support member. A handle is coupled around the support member. The deflectable catheter includes a carriage moveably coupled along the handle, and the carriage includes a second brake portion sized and shaped to engage with at least a portion of the first brake portion. A flexible element is coupled between the deflectable distal tip and the carriage. A biasing device is adapted to bias the second brake portion into engagement with the first brake portion.
Claims21
A method for using a catheter comprising:
- deflecting a catheter deflectable distal tip and locking the catheter deflectable distal tip in a desired orientation with only movement of an actuator including:
- depressing the actuator relative to a handle;
- moving the actuator proximally and distally relative to the catheter deflectable distal tip, the actuator is attached to a flexible element anchored in the catheter deflectable distal tip, wherein:
- proximal movement of the actuator loads the flexible element in tension and pulls the deflectable distal tip in a first direction, and
- distal movement of the actuator loads the flexible element in compression and pushes the deflectable distal tip in a second opposed direction;
- and
- releasing the actuator relative to the handle, and the actuator locks the flexible element in the position at release and correspondingly locks the deflectable distal tip in the desired orientation.
A method for using a catheter comprising:
- deflecting a catheter deflectable distal tip and locking the catheter deflectable distal tip in a desired orientation with movement of an actuator relative to a catheter body from a first location to a second location, wherein the actuator is released and in a locked configuration at the first location, and deflecting the catheter deflectable distal tip includes:
- unlocking the actuator by movement of the actuator from the first location;
- moving the actuator from the first location to the second location and correspondingly deflecting the catheter deflectable distal tip into the desired orientation with a flexible element attached between the actuator and the catheter deflectable distal tip, wherein:
- proximal movement of the actuator loads the flexible element in tension and pulls the deflectable distal tip in a first direction, and
- distal movement of the actuator loads the flexible element in compression and pushes the deflectable distal tip in a second opposed direction;
- and
- locking the actuator at the second location by releasing the actuator at the second location, and when locked the deflectable distal tip is held in the desired orientation.
A catheter comprising:
- a catheter body extending from a catheter proximal portion to a catheter deflectable distal tip;
- a handle fixed to the catheter proximal portion;
- an actuator slidably coupled with the handle, the actuator is attached to a push/pull wire, the push/pull wire is anchored in the deflectable distal tip, the actuator is movable proximally and distally, and the actuator is movable laterally from a locked position to an unlocked position;
- and
- wherein depression of the actuator laterally moves the actuator from the locked position to the unlocked position where the actuator is movable proximally and distally, and release of the actuator laterally moves the actuator from the unlocked position to the locked position where the actuator is restrained from proximal and distal movement, and
- movement of the push/pull wire proximally tensions the push/pull wire and pulls the deflectable distal tip in a first direction, and movement of the push/pull wire distally compresses the push/pull wire and pushes the deflectable distal tip in a second opposed direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.