Deflectable catheter shaft with pullwire anchor feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12156979-B2
Application number	US-201916418176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	May 21, 2018
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure can include a deflectable catheter shaft. The deflectable catheter shaft can include a tubular elongated body including a wall, an inner surface of which circumferentially surrounds and defines a central lumen extending a length of the tubular elongated body, the tubular elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a body distal end and a body proximal end. The deflectable catheter shaft can include a pullwire, wherein the pullwire includes a pullwire proximal end and a pullwire distal end, and wherein the pullwire extends along the tubular elongated body. The deflectable catheter shaft can include an anchor feature coupled to the pullwire distal end, wherein the anchor feature is embedded in the wall of the body distal end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deflectable catheter shaft comprising:
a tubular elongated body comprising a tubular wall, wherein an inner surface of the tubular wall circumferentially surrounds and defines a central lumen extending a length of the tubular elongated body, and wherein the tubular wall extends along a longitudinal axis of the tubular elongated body and comprises a tubular wall distal end, a tubular wall proximal end, and a tubular wall anchor segment attached to the tubular wall distal end at an interface wall and extending distally from the tubular wall distal end; and
a pullwire comprising a pullwire proximal end, an oblique offset transition portion, an anchor portion having a modified shape having a cross-sectional shape different from a cross-sectional shape of the pullwire proximal end and extending directly from the offset transition portion, and a pullwire shaft portion that extends between and connects the pullwire proximal end and the offset transition portion, wherein the pullwire shaft portion extends along the inner surface of the tubular wall within the central lumen, wherein the offset transition portion offsets the anchor portion laterally from a longitudinal axis of the pullwire shaft portion, and wherein the modified shape of the anchor portion and an embedded portion of the offset transition portion form an embedded portion of the pullwire that is embedded within the tubular wall anchor segment via molding of the tubular wall anchor segment so that:
the embedded portion of the pullwire is in direct contact with only the tubular wall anchor segment and a non-embedded portion of the offset transition portion;
the non-embedded portion of the offset transition portion extends into the central lumen from the embedded portion of the offset transition portion, and
all force applied to the embedded portion of the pullwire by the non-embedded portion of the offset transition portion is transferred directly to the tubular wall anchor segment by the embedded portion of the pullwire.

2. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 1 , wherein the tubular wall anchor segment is formed from a moldable material that has a durometer greater than that of adjacent portions of the tubular wall that abut the tubular wall anchor segment.

3. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 1 , further comprising a pullwire liner that defines a pullwire lumen through which the pullwire extends, wherein the pullwire liner and the pullwire form a pullwire assembly.

4. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 3 , wherein the pullwire liner is attached to the inner surface of the tubular wall.

5. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 4 , wherein a low-friction material is adhered to the pullwire liner and the inner surface of the tubular wall.

6. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 3 , further comprising a braid layer disposed between the inner surface of the tubular wall and the pullwire liner.

7. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 1 , wherein the anchor portion comprises a flattened portion of the pullwire.

8. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 1 , wherein the pullwire is formed from a non-metallic material.

9. A deflectable catheter shaft comprising:
a tubular elongated body comprising a tubular wall, wherein an inner surface of the tubular wall circumferentially surrounds and defines a central lumen, and wherein the tubular wall extends along a longitudinal axis of the tubular elongated body and comprises a tubular wall distal end, a tubular wall proximal end, and a tubular wall anchor segment attached to the tubular wall distal end at an interface wall and extending distally from the tubular wall distal end;
a first pullwire comprising a first pullwire proximal end, a first pullwire distal end portion, a first oblique offset transition portion, a first anchor portion having a modified shape with a cross-sectional shape different from a cross-sectional shape of the first pullwire proximal end and extending directly from the first offset transition portion, and a first pullwire shaft portion that extends between and connects the first pullwire proximal end and the first offset transition portion, wherein the first pullwire shaft portion extends along the inner surface of the tubular wall within the central lumen, wherein the first offset transition portion offsets the first anchor portion laterally from a first longitudinal axis of the first pullwire shaft portion, and wherein the modified shape of the first anchor portion and an embedded portion of the first offset transition portion form an embedded portion of the first pullwire that is embedded within the tubular wall anchor segment via molding of the tubular wall anchor segment so that:
the embedded portion of the first pullwire is in direct contact with only the tubular wall anchor segment and a non-embedded portion of the first offset transition portion;
the non-embedded portion of the first offset transition portion extends into the central lumen from the embedded portion of the first offset transition portion, and
all force applied to the embedded portion of the first pullwire by the non-embedded portion of the first offset transition portion is transferred directly to the tubular wall anchor segment by the embedded portion of the first pullwire; and
a second pullwire comprising a second pullwire proximal end, a second pullwire distal end portion, a second oblique offset transition portion, a second anchor portion having a modified shape with a cross-sectional shape different from a cross-sectional shape of the second pullwire proximal end and extending directly from the second offset transition portion, and a second pullwire shaft portion that extends between and connects the second pullwire proximal end and the second offset transition portion, wherein the second pullwire shaft portion extends along the inner surface of the tubular wall within the central lumen, wherein the second offset transition portion offsets the second anchor portion laterally from a longitudinal axis of the second pullwire shaft portion, and wherein the modified shape of the second anchor portion and an embedded portion of the second offset transition portion form an embedded portion of the second pullwire that is embedded within the tubular wall anchor segment so that:
the embedded portion of the second pullwire is in direct contact with only the tubular wall anchor segment and a non-embedded portion of the second offset transition portion,
the non-embedded portion of the second offset transition portion extends into the central lumen from the embedded portion of the second offset transition portion, and
all force applied to the embedded portion of the second pullwire by the non-embedded portion of the second offset transition portion is transferred directly to the tubular wall anchor segment by the embedded portion of the second pullwire.

10. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 9 , wherein the tubular wall anchor segment is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the tubular elongated body.

11. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 9 , wherein the tubular wall anchor segment is formed from a moldable material that has a durometer greater than that of adjacent portions of the tubular wall that abut the tubular wall anchor segment.

12. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 9 , wherein the first pullwire and the second pullwire are disposed between the tubular wall and a liner made from a polytetrafluoroethylene material.

13. The deflectable catheter shaft of claim 9 , wherein the tubular wall anchor segment and the tubular elongated body are formed from at least one polymer material.

Assignees

• St Jude Medical Cardiology Div Inc

Inventors

• Hanenburg Amy L

Classifications

• A61B1/0057

  Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires · CPC title

• A61B2017/003

  Steerable · CPC title

• A61M25/0133

  Tip steering devices · CPC title

• A61M2025/0161

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

• A61M25/0136

  Handles therefor · CPC title