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AssigneeIntelliwire, Inc.
InventorsMir A. Imran, Gholam-Reza Zadno-Azizi, Mark L. Pomeranz
Estimating the term…
Device comprising an elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having a section with a plurality of lumens extending from the proximal extremity to the section. At least two conductive elements are disposed in the lumens in said section of the elongate tubular member. The conductive elements are formed of a conductive metal alloy having a recoverable strain in excess of 1% and exhibiting a martensitic phase transformation. Electrical current is supplied to the at least one conductive element. The section has at least one portion. A current conductor is carried by said at least one conductive element for shunting current flow around the at least one portion of said at least one conductive element.
A steerable catheter or guide wire device comprising an elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having a section with a plurality of lumens extending from the proximal extremity to the section, at least two conductive elements disposed in said lumens in said section of the elongate tubular member, at least one of said conductive elements being formed of a conductive metal alloy having a recoverable strain in excess of 1% and exhibiting a martensitic phase transformation, means coupled to the conductive elements for applying electrical current to at least one conductive element, said section having at least one portion and current conductive means carried by said at least one conductive element for shunting current flow around said at least one portion.
A flexible elongate steerable catheter or guide wire device comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having a plurality of lumens extending therethrough from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, at least three circumferentially spaced-apart conductive elements disposed in said lumens in the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said conductive elements being formed of a conductive metal alloy having a recoverable strain in excess of 1% and which exhibits a martensitic phase transformation, means coupled to the conductive elements for selectively applying electrical current to the conductive elements and current conductive means carried by said conductive elements for shunting current flow around at least a portion of each of the conductive elements.
A method for reducing the I.sup.2 R heating losses in the distal extremity of a flexible elongate tubular member used in a steerable catheter or guide wire and formed of a material and having a conductive element therein formed of a conductive metal alloy having recoverable strain in excess of 1% and exhibiting a martensitic phase transformation comprising the steps of passing an electrical current through the conductive element to cause heating of the same, and shunting the current around a predetermined portion of the conductive element to reduce the I.sup.2 R heating of the conductive element to thereby reduce the transfer of heat to the material of the flexible elongate tubular member carrying the conductive element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.