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US 2014/0276748 A1Published application
Helical Push Wire Electrode
AssigneeMedtronic Ardian Luxembourg S.a.r.I.
InventorsVincent W. Ku, Andrew E. Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Helical push wire electrodes are provided. The electrodes may create a continuous helical lesion. One or more electrodes may wind around a support section and create a set of helixes having fixed ends and hitches. Pushing or pulling an end of the electrode transforms the electrodes between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration such that the set of helixes expand or contract axially. Different portions of the electrodes may be surrounded by sleeves. The sleeves may regulate how the wires transform and provide insulation. Various insulation configurations of the electrodes may provide creations of discrete lesions, efficient energy delivery and reduced power consumption.
Claims32
1-26. (canceled)
A catheter, comprising:
- a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- a therapeutic assembly at the distal end of the shaft, the shaft configured to deliver the therapeutic assembly to a treatment site within a vessel of a human patient, the therapeutic assembly configured to modulate one or more nerves within tissue at or otherwise proximate to a wall of the vessel, the therapeutic assembly including—
- a support structure extending distally from the distal end of the shaft, and
- a wire electrode coupled to the support structure, the wire electrode having a helical portion extending around the support structure between a first and second position, wherein a length between the first and second position is fixed, the wire electrode having a slidable portion proximal to the helical portion, the slidable portion configured to slide distally to expand the helical portion and to slide proximally to collapse the helical portion.
2 more elements
A catheter, comprising:
- a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- a therapeutic assembly at the distal end of the shaft, the shaft configured to deliver the therapeutic assembly to a treatment site within a vessel of a human patient, the therapeutic assembly configured to modulate one or more nerves within tissue at or otherwise proximate to a wall of the vessel, the therapeutic assembly including—
- a support structure extending distally from the distal end of the shaft,
- a first wire electrode coupled to the support structure, the first wire electrode having a first helical portion extending around the support structure and a first slidable portion proximal to the first helical portion, the first slidable portion configured to slide distally to expand the first helical portion and to slide proximally to collapse the first helical portion, and
- a second wire electrode coupled to the support structure, the second wire electrode having a second helical portion extending around the support structure and a second slidable portion proximal to the second helical portion, the second slidable portion configured to slide distally to expand the second helical portion and to slide proximally to collapse the second helical portion,
- wherein the first and second helical portions are intertwined.
4 more elements
A catheter, comprising:
- a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- a therapeutic assembly at the distal end of the shaft, the shaft configured to deliver the therapeutic assembly to a treatment site within a vessel of a human patient, the therapeutic assembly configured to modulate one or more nerves within tissue at or otherwise proximate to a wall of the vessel, the therapeutic assembly including—
- a support structure extending distally from the distal end of the shaft, and
- a wire electrode coupled to the support structure, the wire electrode having a helical portion extending around the support structure and a slidable portion proximal to the helical portion, the slidable portion configured to slide distally to expand the helical portion from a delivery state to a deployed state and to slide proximally to collapse the helical portion from the deployed state to the delivery state,
- wherein—
- the helical portion is distally coupled to the support structure by a distal connection,
- the helical portion in the deployed state tapers distally toward the distal connection such that a helical width of the helical portion decreases toward the distal connection, the helical width being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the therapeutic assembly, and
- the helical portion in the deployed state tapers proximally toward the distal end of the shaft such that the helical width of the helical portion decreases toward the distal end of the shaft.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- advancing a shaft along a transluminal path to deliver a therapeutic assembly at a distal portion of the shaft to a treatment site within a vessel of a human patient, the therapeutic assembly including—
- a support structure extending distally from the distal portion, and
- a wire electrode having a helical portion extending around the support structure and a slidable portion proximal to the helical portion;
- pushing the slidable portion distally to expand the helical portion;
- modulating one or more nerves of the patient using the therapeutic assembly after pushing the slidable portion distally;
- and
- pulling the slidable portion proximally to collapse the helical portion.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.