The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 27, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 10, 1995
Zev Galel, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Cem Kilicci, San Francisco, CA (US);
Henry Bourang, Campbell, CA (US);
Guided Medical Systems, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US);
Abstract
A composite catheter is formed by the combination of a catheter body and a tubular member insertable or secured inside the catheter body. The tubular member contains a series of relatively rigid segments alternating with flexible, collapsible segments which permit the rigid segments to effectively stack against one another when the tubular member is compressed axially. The shape that results when the rigid segments are forced together differs from that of the shape memory of the catheter body in certain embodiments of the invention, and changing the tubular member from a relaxed condition to the compressed condition inside the catheter body can therefore cause a change in shape of the catheter body.