Steerable catheter with fixed curve
US5779669A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jul 14, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC08L2201/12
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A steerable catheter is disclosed which includes a complexly curved proximal section shaped to seat the catheter relative to an anatomical feature within a patient. The catheter also includes a flexible intermediate section which has comparatively greater flexibility than other sections of the catheter. The flexible intermediate section bends in response to forces applied by an attached steering device and substantially all of the flex in the catheter may be contained within the flexible intermediate section. The catheter further has a pre-shaped distal section which is urged into contact with tissue within the patient when the flexible intermediate section flexes. In a preferred embodiment, the distal section supports a plurality of ring electrodes and is shaped to generally correspond to the physiology of a wall of the heart.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.