Steerable catheter with brake assembly

A method of using a medical device, the method comprising:

• positioning the medical device so that a handle of the medical device is located outside of a body of a patient, while a distal portion of a tubular member of the medical device is located within the body;
• activating a steering mechanism of the handle to deflect a distal portion of the tubular member in at least one direction, wherein the steering mechanism includes:
• a first steering assembly;
• and
• a second steering assembly;
• and
• engaging a locking mechanism of the medical device to lock the distal portion of the tubular member in a deflected configuration, wherein the locking mechanism includes:
• an actuator having an exterior portion outside of the handle for engagement by a user, and an interior portion in an interior of the handle;
• and
• a brake in the interior of the handle and coupled to the interior portion of the actuator;
• wherein engaging the locking mechanism comprises:
• rotating the actuator relative to the handle such that the brake simultaneously engages a proximal side, closest to a proximal end of the handle, of each of the first steering assembly and the second steering assembly to lock the distal portion of the tubular member in the deflected configuration.

A method of using a medical device, the method comprising:

• positioning the medical device so that a handle of the medical device is located outside of a body of a patient while a distal portion of a tubular member of the medical device is located within the body;
• activating a steering mechanism of the handle to deflect at least a portion of the tubular member in at least one direction, wherein the steering mechanism includes:
• a first steering assembly including a first knob;
• and
• a second steering assembly including a second knob;
• rotating an actuator relative to the handle, wherein the actuator has an exterior portion outside of the handle, and an interior portion in an interior of the handle;
• wherein the rotating of the actuator causes a brake coupled to the interior portion of the actuator to contact, in the interior of the handle, a portion of each of the first steering assembly and the second steering assembly, wherein a first location of the contact between the brake and the portion of the first steering assembly is closer to the first knob than a second location of the contact between the brake and the second steering assembly is to the first knob, and wherein a direction of a force applied by the brake to the first steering assembly is transverse to an axis of rotation of the first steering assembly.

A method of using a medical device, the method comprising:

• positioning the medical device so that a handle of the medical device is located outside of a body of a patient while a distal portion of a tubular member of the medical device is located within the body;
• activating a first knob of a first steering assembly or a second knob of a second steering assembly to deflect the distal portion of the tubular member in at least one direction;
• and
• rotating a single braking actuator relative to the handle, wherein the single braking actuator has an exterior portion outside of the handle and an interior portion in an interior of the handle, wherein the rotation of the single braking actuator causes a brake in an interior of the handle and coupled to the interior portion of the single braking actuator to contact, in the interior of the handle, each of the first steering assembly and the second steering assembly, and wherein, upon rotating the single braking actuator, at least a portion of the brake pivots towards a distal end of the handle.