Steering mechanism for bi-directional catheter
US7377906B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 15, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 25, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61M25/0136
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides a bi-directional catheter with nearly double the throw in its catheter tip deflection. In particular, the travel path of each the puller wire includes a U-turn or doubling-back around a pulley which minimizes the offset angle between the puller wire and the longitudinal axis of the control handle while maximizing the travel distance of that puller wire for any given distance traveled by the pulley drawing the puller wire. In one embodiment, the catheter has an elongated catheter body, a catheter tip section with first and second diametrically-opposed off-axis lumens, and a control handle which includes a steering assembly having a lever structure carrying a pair of pulleys for simultaneously drawing and releasing corresponding puller wires to deflect the tip section of the catheter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.