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:
Apr. 25, 2017
Filed:
Sep. 23, 2011
Therese J. O'day, Bloomington, IN (US);
Therese J. O'Day, Bloomington, IN (US);
Cook Medical Technologies LLC, Bloomington, IN (US);
Abstract
A variable stiffness catheter includes an elongate tubular body having proximal and distal body ends and defining a lumen extending longitudinally between a fluid inlet in the proximal body end and a fluid outlet in the distal body end. The catheter includes a vacuum responsive stiffener coupled with the elongate tubular body, which may include a stiffening medium such as an open cell foam having an expanded state and a vacuum collapsed state. The stiffening medium can transition between the expanded state at which it is relatively flexible and the vacuum collapsed state at which it is relatively inflexible via withdrawing fluid from the vacuum responsive stiffener by way of a vacuum device.