St. Jude Medical, Inc.

Possis Medical, Inc.

Fidus Medical Technology Corporation

Ovamed Gmbh

Kletschka, Harold D.

Brian M Packard

Jonathan Kagan

Robert G Dutcher

David M Costello

Harold D Kletschka

Richard A Schatz

Thomas F Hinnenkamp

Robert J Scott

Ricci D Smelser

David A Grundy

Glen G Warner

Robert S Schenken

John N Zink

Jon Kagan

Mark A Blazei

Tim T Hidani

Angela L Hillyard

The present invention is a single apparatus that can be adjusted through a range of diameters to measure an anatomical tissue annulus. The apparatus includes an elongated support member having a proximal end and a distal end. An operator actuated movable member is joined to the proximal end of the elongated support member while an adjustable member is joined to the distal end of the elongated support member. The adjustable member has a reference axis and an outer curved surface selectively positionable in response to the operator actuated member. In particular, the outer curved surface can be selectively positioned between an inner position proximate the reference axis and an outer position spaced apart from the reference axis.

Adjustable sizing apparatus

A medical catheter steering construction is described that is particularly well suited for steering ablation catheters that utilize coaxial transmission lines. An elongated coaxial transmission line is received within a lumen in the flexible tubular member. An antenna is coupled to the center conductor of the coaxial transmission line. A shield termination is secured to the shield portion of the coaxial transmission line. A steering wire that extends through the tubular member to permit a user to steer the catheter during insertion is attached to the shield termination. With this arrangement, when the catheter is inserted into the vessel of a patient, the tip of the catheter may be steered by pulling on the steering wire. In one embodiment of the invention, a distal portion of the tubular member has a stiffness that is significantly less than the stiffness of the majority of the tubular member to facilitate bending during steering. Suitable methods for making such catheters are also described.

Steering mechanism for catheters and methods for making same

A delivery catheter for introducing living matter into a body passageway or cavity of a female mammal comprises a hollow, flexible, dual lumen catheter having substantially tubular-shaped collection chamber for holding the living matter. An ejection port is formed adjacent to the distal end of the collection chamber and an actuator port is formed at its proximal end. A guide tube having a lumen, is positioned coaxially within the collection chamber with the respective distal and proximal ends of the guide tube and the collection chamber joined together in fluid-tight sealing engagements. In an alternate embodiment, the lumina are separated to create a guide wire lumen which is substantially parallel to a transfer lumen. Also, the distal end of the catheter is beveled to recess the opening of the guide wire lumen from the port of the collection chamber in the transfer lumen. In operation, the delivery catheter is inserted into the body passageway over a prepositioned guide wire. More specifically, the delivery catheter receives the guide wire through the lumen of its guide tube to advance the delivery catheter along the guide wire. Once the ejection port of the collection chamber is positioned at the desired site in the body passageway, fluid is introduced into the collection chamber through the actuator port to eject the living matter through the ejection port and into the body passageway. The delivery catheter and the guide wire are then withdrawn from the passageway.

Delivery catheter

A cardiac lead has an electrode and fixation assembly including a plurality of fixation members movable to extended positions into heart tissue to retain the electrode in intimate engagement with heart tissue. An elongated stylet is used to move the fixation members to their extended positions into the heart tissue and retract the fixation members into the fixation assembly to allow the lead to be removed from the heart and body of a person.

Cardiac lead with retractible fixators

Growing community of inventors

Monticello, MN, United States of America

Brian M Packard