Steerable member and system and methods of making and using same

Abstract

A steerable device and system allowing a steerable elongate member positioned within another steerable tubular elongate member to be steered independently of the steerable tubular elongate member. The steerable tubular elongate member may be steered in a first plane, bending the steerable elongate member therein in the first plane as well. A steering mechanism operatively associated with the steerable elongate member has a distal portion operatively associated with a steerable region of the steerable elongate member to steer such steerable region within a second plane transverse to the first plane. The steering mechanism is independently movable with respect to a portion of the steerable elongate member proximal to the steerable region so as not to affect the orientation of the steerable region to be steered into a second plane transverse to the first plane.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.