Catheter with pull wire measurement feature
AssigneeSt. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.
InventorsJohn A. Hauck, Mark T. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for determining a length of a portion of a steering wire disposed within a bendable medical device includes an electrical contact slidably coupled with a steering wire, an electrical source configured to transmit an electrical signal through a portion of the steering wire, and a processor configured to monitor a parameter of the electrical signal at or about the electrical contact and configured to determine a length of a portion of the steering wire using the monitored parameter.
Claims21
An apparatus for determining a length of a portion of a steering wire disposed within a bendable medical device, the apparatus comprising:
- an electrical contact slidably coupled with a steering wire;
- an electrical source configured to transmit an electrical signal through a portion of the steering wire;
- and
- a processor configured to monitor a parameter of the electrical signal at or about the electrical contact and configured to determine a length of a portion of the steering wire using the monitored parameter.
A bendable medical device having a proximal end, a distal end, and a fulcrum between the proximal and distal end, the device comprising:
- a steering wire extending from the proximal end of the device, to a pull ring positioned near the distal end, the steering wire configured to selectively deflect the device in a portion between the fulcrum and the pull ring;
- an electrical contact positioned at or about the fulcrum, the electrical contact being in slidable electrical communication with the steering wire;
- an electrical contact wire coupled with the electrical contact;
- and
- a pull ring wire extending from the proximal end of the device to the pull ring, the pull ring wire in electrical communication with the pull ring.
A method of determining the deflection of a portion of a catheter, the catheter having a steering wire extending between a fulcrum point of the catheter and a pull ring positioned within the catheter at a point more distal than the fulcrum, comprising:
- driving a current having a known value along a portion of the steering wire;
- receiving a signal indicative of the voltage of the steering wire at the fulcrum;
- determining a heading angle, a deflection angle, or a Cartesian movement of a portion of the catheter from at least the voltage of the steering wire at the fulcrum, the known current along the steering wire, and a resistance per length of the steering wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.