Pre-curved steerable catheter with pull-wires for dexterous deflection control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10561818-B2
Application number	US-201515529574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A pre-curved steerable catheter includes a catheter body ( 102 ) having a distal end portion. The distal end portion includes a permanently curved flexible end portion ( 110 ). A pull wire ( 108 ) is disposed in a pull wire lumen within the catheter body. The pull wire extends from the distal end portion to a proximal end portion of the catheter body wherein the pull wire, when tensioned, provides a change in an angle of the curved flexible end portion of the catheter body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pre-curved steerable catheter, comprising:
a catheter body having a distal end portion, the distal end portion including a permanently curved flexible end portion;
at least one pull wire disposed in a pull wire lumen within the catheter body, the at least one pull wire extending from the distal end portion to a proximal end portion of the catheter body; and
a handle configured to adjust the at least one pull wire with a slide,
wherein the slide includes a lock to lock an angle at an indicated position displayed on an indicator on the handle;
wherein the at least one pull wire, when tensioned, provides a change in the angle of the curved flexible end portion of the catheter, and
wherein the handle is configured to adjust the at least one pull wire with a spring loaded circumferential slide.

2. The catheter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the curved flexible end portion includes a relaxed position having a first curved angle extending outwardly from a longitudinal axis of the catheter body and the at least one pull wire is a single pull wire disposed on an inside curve of the catheter body.

3. The catheter as recited in claim 2 , wherein the curved flexible end portion includes segments of varied rigidity such that the single pull wire, when tensioned, results in a second curved angle steeper than the first curved angle.

4. The catheter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the curved flexible end portion includes a relaxed position having a first curved angle extending outwardly from a longitudinal axis of the catheter body and the at least one pull wire is only a single pull wire disposed on an outside curve of the catheter body.

5. The catheter as recited in claim 4 , wherein the single pull wire, when tensioned, results in a second curved angle which is one of shallower than the first curved angle or extends past the longitudinal axis in an opposite direction of the first curved angle.

6. The catheter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one pull wire includes two pull wires, a first pull wire is disposed on an inside curve of the catheter body and a second pull wire is disposed on an outside curve of the catheter body.

7. A pre-curved steerable catheter, comprising:
a catheter body having a distal end portion, the distal end portion including a permanently curved flexible end portion;
at least one pull wire disposed in a pull wire lumen within the catheter body, the at least one pull wire extending from the distal end portion to a proximal end portion of the catheter body; and
a handle configured to tension the at least one pull wire with a slide and provide a change in an angle of the curved flexible end portion of the catheter body wherein the slide includes a lock to lock the angle at an indicated position,
wherein the handle is configured to adjust the at least one pull wire with a spring loaded circumferential slide.

8. A pre-curved steerable catheter, comprising:
a catheter body having a distal end portion, the distal end portion including a permanently curved flexible end portion, the curved flexible end portion includes a relaxed position having a first curved angle extending outwardly from a longitudinal axis of the catheter body;
a plurality of pull wires disposed in one or more pull wire lumens within the catheter body and extending longitudinally along the catheter body, a first pull wire being disposed on an inside curve of the catheter body and a second pull wire being disposed on an outside curve of the catheter body such that tensioning the first pull wire results in the angle being steeper than the first curved angle and tensioning the second pull wire results in the angle being one of shallower than the first curved angle or extending past the longitudinal axis in an opposite direction from the first curved angle; and
a handle configured to adjust at least one pull wire with a spring loaded circumferential slide and provide a change in an angle of the curved flexible end portion of the catheter body wherein the slide includes a lock to lock the angle at an indicated position displayed on an indicator on the handle.

9. The catheter as recited in claim 8 , wherein the permanently curved flexible end portion includes segments of varied rigidity such that the at least one pull wire, when tensioned, results in the angle being steeper than the first carved angle.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv
• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Cole Gregory
• Su Hao
• Parthasarathy Vijay
• Yung Rex

Classifications

• A61M25/0147

  with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires · CPC title

• A61M25/0152

  with pre-shaped mechanisms, e.g. pre-shaped stylets or pre-shaped outer tubes · CPC title

• A61M25/0041 Primary

  pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels (urethral catheters A61F2/04) · CPC title

• A61M2025/0161

  wherein the distal tips have two or more deflection regions · CPC title