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:
Aug. 25, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1996
Fernando Pumares, San Bruno, CA (US);
Timothy McGrath, Milpitas, CA (US);
E.P. Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A steerable catheter includes a handle, an elongated catheter body, a steering tube formed by an elongated coiled spring, the steering tube having a distal end that terminates short of the distal end of the catheter, and a steering spring having a bendable portion extending outside the distal end of the steering tube for bending the distal end of the catheter in response to an applied force exerted by one or more steering wires. A controller is positioned on the handle and attached to the steering wire, for applying tension. At least one and preferably two sleeves of polymeric material are heat shrunk around a part, but not all of the length of the distal portion of the catheter which extends distally from the elongated coiled spring. The bending characteristics of the catheter are modified by the length, and thickness of the sleeves as well as the physical characteristics of the polymer used. The preferred polymeric material is a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate.