Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

David Paulk

Dean A Schaefer

John Edward Sherry

Steven M Anderson

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for utilizing energy, such as radio frequency (RF) energy, to treat defined areas of tissue and more particularly to ablate tumors with RF energy through the use of a needle having a spreading array of individually traversing conductive tines which are independently positioned and activated.

Tumor ablation needle with independently activated and independently traversing tines

An intravascular catheter having a shaft, at least a portion of which includes a braid reinforcement with an axial wire or fiber disposed between the helical members that form the braid. The axial member prevents the elongation of the shaft of the catheter thereby maintaining one-to-one correspondence in axial manipulation of the catheter, even when the shaft is placed in tension. By positioning the axial member between the helical members, the axial member does not create a protrusion and does not become fixed to any adjacent polymer layer. Thus, the axial member limits axial strain of the catheter, without creating the undesirable effects of friction caused by an axial protrusion and without creating the undesirable effects of limited flexure caused by an adjacent polymer layer becoming fixed to the axial member.

Intravascular catheter with axial member

An intravascular catheter having a shaft, at least a portion of which includes a braid reinforcement with a plurality of axial members disposed between the helical members that form the braid. The axial members provide a number of advantages including: maintaining one-to-one correspondence in axial manipulation; maintaining uniform flexibility in several planes of flexure; reducing the likelihood of causing a curling effect; increasing the strength of connections between shaft segments; uniformly increasing stiffness of the catheter; and increasing the burst strength of the catheter. By positioning the axial members between the helical members, the axial members do not create a protrusion and do not become fixed to any adjacent polymer layer. Thus, the benefits of axial members are retained, without creating the undesirable effects of friction caused by an axial protrusion and without creating the undesirable effects of limited flexure caused by an adjacent polymer layer becoming fixed to the axial member.

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Hopedal, MA, United States of America

David Paulk