Steerable catheter with a longitudinally adjustable curved core
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorRobert C. Hayzelden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A catheter includes a steering tendon and a longitudinally adjustable core having a curved shape in the distal portion thereof. The steering tendon is attached to the distal-end region of the catheter sheath. The proximal end of the core is coupled to a positioning mechanism within the catheter handle and the distal end of the core floats within the catheter sheath. The position of the distal end of the core can be adjusted by advancing or retracting the positioning mechanism within the handle. Axial movement of the steering tendon in the proximal direction causes the distal-end region of the catheter sheath to deflect, while longitudinal adjustment of the curved core changes the deflection profile of the distal-end region of the catheter sheath.
Claims19
A catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular sheath having a proximal region, a distal-end region and a lumen therebetween;
- a steering tendon having a first end coupled to the distal-end region of the sheath, and a second end located at the proximal region of the sheath, wherein movement of the steering tendon in a proximal direction causes the sheath distal-end region to deflect;
- and
- a core disposed within the lumen of the sheath, the core having a proximal end and a distal end, a distal portion of the core having a preformed curved shape, and the core being longitudinally adjustable relative to the sheath to effect deflection of the distal-end region of the sheath.
A catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular sheath having a proximal region, a distal-end region and a lumen therebetween;
- a steering tendon having a first end coupled to the distal-end region of the sheath, and a second end located at the proximal region of the sheath, wherein movement of the steering tendon in a proximal direction causes the sheath distal-end region to deflect;
- a core disposed within the lumen of the sheath, the core having a proximal end and a distal end, a distal portion of the core having a preformed curved shape, and the core being longitudinally adjustable relative to the sheath to effect deflection of the distal-end region of the sheath;
- a handle coupled to the proximal region of the sheath, the handle having a controller secured to the core and adapted to move the core between locations within the proximal region of the sheath and the distal-end region of the sheath;
- and
- at least one electrode at the distal-end region of the sheath electrically connected to a connector within the handle by wires.
A method for placing the distal portion of a catheter at a desired location within a biological cavity, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular sheath having a proximal region and a distal-end region, a steering tendon having a first end coupled to the distal-end region of the sheath and a second end located at the proximal region of the sheath, and a longitudinally adjustable core disposed within the lumen of the sheath, a distal portion of the core having a preformed curved shape, wherein the relative rigidity of the sheath proximal region, sheath distal-end region and core is such that when the core is within the sheath proximal region, the core assumes the shape of the sheath proximal region and when the preformed curved distal portion of the core is within the sheath distal-end region, the sheath distal-end region assumes the shape of the preformed curved distal portion of the core, the method comprising:
- introducing the catheter into a body vessel with the curved distal portion of the core located in the sheath proximal region;
- advancing the catheter through the vessel into the biological cavity;
- deflecting the distal-end region of the catheter toward the desired location by advancing the curved distal portion of the core into the sheath distal-end region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.