# US 8,784,382 B2 · Hollow curved superelastic medical needle and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,382 B2 - Document ID: US8784382B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/285,620 - Filed: 2011-10-31 - Published: 2012-02-23 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 1998-12-09 - Assignees: Cook Medical Technologies LLC - Applicants: James F. McGuckin, Jr.; Robert L. Pakter; Edward J. Morris - Inventors: James F. McGuckin, Jr.; Robert L. Pakter; Edward J. Morris - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784382B2 ## CPC - A61M 25/0041: {pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels (urethral catheters A61F2/04)} - A61B 17/1671: {for the spine} - A61B 17/3417: {Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating (syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00)} - A61B 17/3468: {for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires (devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069)} - A61M 25/0043: {characterised by structural features} - A61M 25/06: Body-piercing guide needles or the like - A61M 25/0606: {"Over-the-needle" catheter assemblies, e.g. I.V. catheters} - A61B 17/3478: {Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion (biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067)} - A61B 2017/00261: {Discectomy} - A61B 2017/00867: {shape memory effect} - A61M 2025/0007: {Epidural catheters} - A61M 2205/0266: Shape memory materials - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A needle assembly 10 compromising an infusion needle 11 that includes a needle cannula 13 made of a superelastic material such as Nitinol. The needle cannula is cold-worked or heat annealed to produce a preformed bend 16 that can be straightened within passageway 21 of a coaxial outer cannula 12 for introduction into the body of a patient. Upon deployment from the outer cannula, the needle cannula substantially returns to the preformed configuration for the introduction or extraction of materials at areas lateral to the entry path of the needle assembly. The needle assembly can compromise a plurality of needle cannulae than can be variably arranged or configured for attaining a desired infusion pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A needle assembly, comprising: an outer needle cannula having a distal opening; a multi-needle subassembly received within said outer needle cannula, said subassembly comprising a base cannula and a plurality of needle cannulae having proximal portions manifolded into and affixed in place within said base cannula to fix distal tip portions of said needle cannulae in an array extending distally of a distal end of said base cannula, said multi-needle subassembly slidable within said outer needle cannula to selectively deploy said array from said distal opening of said outer needle cannula; and said needle cannulae each having a passageway, and each said needle cannula, while in its unconstrained configuration, having at least one preformed bend proximate to said distal tip portion and being constrainable to a second configuration, whereby at release of external constraining forces, said distal tip portion of each said needle cannula substantially returns to the unconstrained configuration extending forwardly and radially outwardly from a respective said preformed bend. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The needle assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said needle cannulae comprises a superelastic Ni—Ti alloy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The needle assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said needle cannulae has a distal tip that is deflected at an angle between about 30° and about 110° when in an unconstrained condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The needle assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one preformed bend of each needle cannula of said plurality of needle cannulae is induced by mechanical deformation of the needle cannula such that the superelastic material of the at least one preformed bend includes a martensitic crystalline structure, while non-mechanically deformed portions of the needle cannula comprise a substantially austenitic crystalline structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The needle assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said needle cannulae has a distal tip that is deflected at an angle between about 60° and about 90° when in an unconstrained condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The needle assembly of claim 1, also comprising an outer needle cannula containing said plurality of needle cannulae. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The needle assembly of claim 6, wherein said outer needle cannula has side apertures, with each of said plurality of needle cannulae having a distal portion configured to exit one of said side apertures. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method of infusing a medicament into a tumor, comprising passing the medicament through the passageways of a needle assembly of claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the medicament comprises ethanol. ### Claim 10 A needle assembly, comprising: an outer needle cannula having a distal opening; a multi-needle subassembly received within said outer needle cannula, said subassembly comprising a base cannula and a plurality of needle cannulae having proximal portions manifolded into and affixed in place within said base cannula to fix distal tip portions of said needle cannulae in a needle array extending distally of a distal end of said base cannula, said multi-needle subassembly slidable within said outer needle cannula to selectively deploy said needle array from said distal opening of said outer needle cannula; said needle cannulae each having a passageway, and each said needle cannula, while in its unconstrained configuration, having at least one preformed bend proximate to said distal tip portion and being constrainable to a second configuration, whereby at release of external constraining forces, said distal tip portion of each said needle cannula substantially returns to the unconstrained configuration extending forwardly and radially outwardly from a respective said preformed bend; a proximal base cannula hub fixed to said base cannula and configured to infuse material or aspirate material through the needle cannulae and the base cannula; an outer needle cannula hub fixed to said outer needle cannula; a handle including a stationary outer component attached to the proximal base cannula hub and a slidable inner component attached to the outer needle cannula hub, wherein the slidable inner component is slidable into the stationary outer component to deploy said needle array from said distal opening of said outer needle cannula, and slidable out of said stationary outer component to retract said needle array into said distal opening of said outer needle cannula. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The needle assembly of claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of needle cannulae comprises a superelastic Ni—Ti alloy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The needle assembly of claim 10, wherein each of said needle cannulae has a distal tip that is deflected at an angle between about 30° and about 110° when in an unconstrained condition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The needle assembly of claim 10, wherein each of said needle cannulae has a distal tip that is deflected at an angle between about 60° and about 90° when in an unconstrained condition.