Catheter articulation segment with alternating cuts
US7637903B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 2004 |
| Grant date | Dec 29, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 21, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61M25/0138
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An articulation segment for a catheter includes a tube formed with a first plurality of axially aligned slits that are respectively oriented in planes perpendicular to the axis, with each slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis. The tube is also formed with a second plurality of similarly formed slits that are axially offset and diametrically opposed relative to the slits of the first plurality to allow for a bending of the catheter in a plurality of different planes. In a particular embodiment, the slits are arranged to allow the articulation segment to be reconfigured from a straight, substantially cylindrically shaped tube to a configuration in which a portion of the articulation segment is formed in the shape of a ring.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.