Catheter handle and catheter comprising the same

Abstract

To provide a handle for operating a tube of a catheter that is capable of adjusting the movement and operability of a distal part of the tube.SOLUTION: A handle 1 is for operating a tube of a catheter, includes: a handle body 2; a wire 6 with a distal part thereof arranged in a lumen of the tube, and a proximal part arranged on the handle 1; a rotary board 3 which is provided rotatably relative to the handle body 2 and comprises an engagement part 4 to which the proximal part of the wire 6 is fixed; and a guide member 7 which is installed on the rotary board 3 and with which the wire 6 comes into contact. One of the rotary board 3 and the guide member 7 has a projection part 8, the other has a recess part 9. By the projection part 8 being fit into the recess part 9, the guide member 7 is installed on the rotary board 3. The projection part 8 and the recess part 9 each have a non-circular, rotationally symmetric shape. The guide member 7 has an outer edge which is formed at a non-equal distance from the center of the projection part 8 or the recess part 9 in plan view of the guide member as installed on the rotary board 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a catheter handle for use in a medical catheter, and to a catheter equipped with the catheter handle. [Background technology]

[0002] A medical catheter is usually composed of a tube for insertion into a body cavity such as a blood vessel, digestive tract, or ureter, and a handle provided on the proximal side of the tube. There are known catheters configured so that the distal part of the tube can be bent by operating the handle at hand, and in such a catheter, a wire is arranged in the lumen of the tube, the distal part of the wire is fixed to the distal part of the tube, and the proximal part of the wire is arranged inside the handle, so that the distal part of the tube can be bent by operating the handle. In a catheter with two wires, the distal part of the tube can be bent in one direction by pulling one of the two wires, and the distal part of the tube can be bent in the other direction by pulling the other wire.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a catheter having an operating hub attached to the proximal end side of a tube member and a rotating knob rotatably attached to the operating hub and connected to the proximal end of a wire, and this catheter is configured so that the orientation of the distal end of the tube member can be changed by rotating the rotating knob in a first direction or a second direction. Patent Document 2 discloses a catheter handle including a handle main body attached to the base end side of a catheter tube and a rotating plate rotatably attached to the handle main body and to which the base end of the wire is fixed, and this rotating plate has multiple arc-shaped or annular guide rails for defining the path of the wire within the rotating plate formed on the circumference of a concentric circle centered on the rotation axis. Patent document 3 discloses a catheter handle having a handle body, a rotating plate that is rotatably mounted relative to the handle body, and a wire guide member that is formed so as to be displaceable in the planar direction of the rotating plate. By displacing the wire guide member in the planar direction of the rotating plate, the handle is capable of freely adjusting the pulling length of the wire arranged along the wire guide member when the rotating plate is rotated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-230471 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-017693 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-158655 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, various catheter handles for manipulating a tube provided on the distal side are conventionally known, but it is desirable to have a handle with a wide range of applications, such as one that allows the degree of bending and operability of the distal part of the tube to be adjusted as desired according to the preferences and needs of the user. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a handle for manipulating a catheter tube, which allows the movement and operability of the distal part of the tube to be adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The catheter handle of the present invention, which is able to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a catheter equipped with said handle, are as follows. [1] A handle for operating a catheter tube, The handle body and a wire having a distal portion disposed within the lumen of the tube and a proximal portion disposed within the handle; A rotating disk provided rotatably with respect to the handle body and having a locking portion to which a proximal portion of the wire is fixed; a guide member that is installed on the rotating disk and against which the wire abuts; one of the rotating disk and the guide member has a convex portion and the other has a concave portion, and the guide member is installed on the rotating disk by fitting the convex portion into the concave portion; the protrusion and the recess have a non-circular, rotationally symmetric shape, The guide member is a catheter handle having an outer edge formed at unequal distances from the center of the convex portion or the concave portion when viewed in a plan view while the guide member is placed on the rotating disk. [2] A first wire and a second wire are provided as the wires, As the locking portion, a first locking portion to which a proximal portion of the first wire is fixed and a second locking portion to which a proximal portion of the second wire is fixed are provided, The catheter handle according to [1], wherein the guide members include a first guide member against which the first wire abuts and a second guide member against which the second wire abuts. [3] The catheter handle described in [1] or [2], wherein the convex portion and the concave portion have a shape with n-fold rotational symmetry (where n is an integer between 2 and 10). [4] A catheter handle described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the guide member is removably installed on the rotating disk. [5] A catheter having a catheter handle described in any one of [1] to [4] and a tube whose proximal portion is connected to the handle. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The handle of the present invention allows the guide member to be installed on the turntable in a plurality of different configurations by changing the orientation of the guide member. This allows the path of the wire on the turntable to be changed according to the installation form of the guide member when the turntable is rotated by operating the handle. Therefore, by using the handle of the present invention, the movement and operability of the tube when the turntable is rotated can be adjusted. In addition, by appropriately selecting the installation form of the guide member according to the specifications of the tube, the movement of the distal part of the tube can be appropriately controlled, and a handle that can be used by connecting tubes of various specifications can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows an example of a catheter with a handle, illustrating a top view of the catheter. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main part of a handle provided on the catheter shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is an example of a cross-sectional view of the handle shown in FIG. 2 along line IV-IV. [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view of a guide member provided in the handle shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 4 shows another example of a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the handle shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] 7 is a perspective view of a guide member provided in the handle shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the handle shown in FIG. 3 in a state in which the rotating disk is rotated to pull the wire. [Figure 9A] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 3 in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 9B] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 3 in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 10A] 13 shows another example of the handle configuration, and is a plan view of the internal structure of the main part of the handle. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 10A in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10B is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 10A in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 11A] 13 shows another example of the handle configuration, and is a plan view of the internal structure of the main part of the handle. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 11A in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11B is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 11A in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 12A] 13 shows another example of the handle configuration, and is a plan view of the internal structure of the main part of the handle. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 12A in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed. [Figure 13] 1 shows another example of a catheter with a handle, showing an overall plan view of the catheter. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows a plan view of the main part of a handle provided on the catheter shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 illustrates a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 illustrates an example of a cross-sectional view of the handle shown in FIG. 14 along line XVI-XVI. [Figure 17] 16 shows another example of a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI of the handle shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 18A] FIG. 16 is a plan view of the handle shown in FIG. 15 in a state where the rotating disk is rotated clockwise to pull the first wire. [Figure 18B] FIG. 16 is a plan view of the handle shown in FIG. 15 in a state where the rotating disk is rotated counterclockwise to pull the second wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention relates to a catheter handle used in a medical catheter, and is for performing an operation to bend the distal side of a tube provided in the catheter. Such a catheter is composed of a tube for insertion into a body lumen such as a blood vessel, a digestive tract, or a ureter, and a handle provided on the proximal side of the tube. The distal part of a wire arranged in the lumen of the tube is fixed to the tube, the proximal part is fixed to the handle, and the handle is operated to pull the wire toward the handle, thereby bending the distal part of the tube. The handle of the present invention is designed to adjust the pull amount of the wire when the handle is operated, i.e., the maximum pulling length, and to adjust the operability of the handle when pulling the wire, thereby enabling the handle to be operated according to the user's preference. In addition, the handle can be used by connecting tubes of various specifications, thereby expanding the range of application of the handle.

[0010] The handle of the present invention will be specifically described below based on the following embodiment, taking a catheter as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the above and below, and all of these are included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, hatching and component symbols may be omitted in each drawing for convenience, but in such cases, the specification and other drawings should be referred to. Furthermore, the dimensions of various components in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions, since priority is given to contributing to understanding the features of the present invention.

[0011] The overall configuration of a catheter equipped with a catheter handle will be described with reference to Figure 1. A catheter 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a handle 1 and a tube 12 whose proximal portion is connected to the handle 1. The tube 12 is provided on the distal side of the handle 1. The catheter 11 is used for treatment or examination, for example, by inserting the tube 12 into a body cavity such as a patient's blood vessel or digestive tract.

[0012] The catheter 11 is defined as having a proximal side and a distal side relative to the extending direction of the tube 12, and the direction extending from the proximal side to the distal side is referred to as the longitudinal direction. In the catheter 11, the proximal side refers to the direction toward the user's hand, and the distal side refers to the opposite direction to the proximal side, i.e., the direction toward the treatment target. The longitudinal direction, distal side, and proximal side are also defined in the tube 12 and the handle 1 in the same manner.

[0013] The tube 12 has a flexible tubular structure, and can be made of synthetic resins such as polyolefin resins (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene), polyamide resins (e.g., nylon), polyester resins (e.g., PET), aromatic polyether ketone resins (e.g., PEEK), polyether polyamide resins, polyurethane resins, polyimide resins, and fluorine-based resins (e.g., PTFE, PFA, and ETFE), or metals such as stainless steel, carbon steel, and nickel-titanium alloys. Metal materials can also be used as metal wires embedded in the synthetic resin tube. The length of the tube 12 in the longitudinal direction is several times to several tens of times longer than the length of the handle 1 in the same direction, and is, for example, about 500 mm to 1200 mm. The outer diameter of the tube 12 may be, for example, about 0.6 mm to 5 mm.

[0014] The tube 12 has an internal lumen, and may be either a single lumen structure having one internal lumen or a multi-lumen structure having multiple internal lumens. The tube 12 may also have a coaxial structure in which multiple coaxial lumens are provided.

[0015] A wire 6 for manipulating the tube 12 is disposed in the inner cavity of the tube 12. The wire 6 is provided, for example, to control the bending of the distal portion of the tube 12. In this case, it is preferable that the distal portion of the wire 6 is fixed to the distal portion of the tube 12, for example, the distal 1 / 3 portion of the tube 12. A conducting wire, an optical fiber, an endoscope, etc. may be disposed in the inner cavity of the tube 12, and an inner cavity for inserting a guide wire or another treatment tool, or an inner cavity for passing a drug, a contrast agent, or any fluid may be provided.

[0016] The handle 1 is provided on the proximal side of the tube 12, and when assembled into the catheter 11, the proximal portion of the wire 6 disposed in the lumen of the tube 12 is connected to the handle 1. The distal portion of the wire 6 is disposed in the lumen of the tube 12, and the proximal portion of the wire 6 is disposed in the handle 1.

[0017] An embodiment of the structure of the handle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 9B. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the main part of the handle provided in the catheter shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 shows an example of a IV-IV cross section of the handle shown in Figure 2, Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a guide member provided in the handle shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 shows another example of the IV-IV cross section of the handle shown in Figure 2, Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a guide member provided in the handle shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 shows a plan view of the handle shown in Figure 3 in a state in which the rotating disk is rotated to pull the wire, and Figures 9A and 9B show plan views of the internal structure of the handle shown in Figure 3 in which the direction of installation of the guide member is changed.

[0018] The handle 1 has a handle body 2 and a rotating plate 3 that is rotatably provided relative to the handle body 2. The rotating plate 3 has a rotation axis 5 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral directions of the handle 1, and is formed so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 5 on a plane formed by the longitudinal and lateral directions.

[0019] In the handle 1, the longitudinal direction is determined based on the extension direction of the catheter 11, and a proximal side and a distal side are determined with respect to the longitudinal direction. The width direction means the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The extension direction of a plane formed by the longitudinal direction and the width direction is called the planar direction. The extension direction of the rotation axis 5 is called the rotation axis direction. The handle 1 has an upper side and a lower side with respect to the rotation axis direction, and the rotation axis direction corresponds to the thickness direction of the handle 1. Figure 2 shows an external view of the handle 1 as seen from above.

[0020] The handle body 2 supports the turntable 3, and a user can operate the handle 1 by holding the handle body 2. The handle 1 is preferably configured such that the handle body 2 includes a support portion for the turntable 3, a grip portion, and a connection portion with the tube 12. In the handle body 2, the support portion for the turntable 3 means a portion where the handle body 2 overlaps with the turntable 3 in a plan view of the handle 1 (a state in which a plane formed by the longitudinal and width directions is viewed from above), and the portion proximal to this is the grip portion. In the handle body 2, the connection portion with the tube 12 is preferably provided distal to the support portion of the turntable 3.

[0021] In Fig. 2, Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, the handle body 2 is arranged to sandwich the rotating platen 3 from both the upper and lower sides in the rotation axis direction, but the handle body 2 may be provided on only one side of the rotating platen 3. In the former case, the handle body 2 is composed of, for example, a first handle member 2A arranged on the lower side of the rotating platen 3 and a second handle member 2B arranged on the upper side of the rotating platen 3, and the rotating platen 3 is arranged between the first handle member 2A and the second handle member 2B. In the latter case, the rotating platen 3 is exposed and arranged on the outside of the handle body 2. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the handle 1 shown in Fig. 2 with the second handle member 2B of the handle body 2 and the top cover of the rotating platen 3 removed. The handle body 2 can be composed of, for example, a synthetic resin.

[0022] It is preferable that the turntable 3 is formed as a housing, and the proximal portion of the wire 6 is disposed in the internal space of the housing. In this case, an insertion port 10 for the wire 6 is provided in the turntable 3, and the proximal portion of the wire 6 is introduced into the inside of the turntable 3 through the insertion port 10. It is preferable that the housing constituting the turntable 3 is formed by combining two or more members.

[0023] The rotating disk 3 is provided rotatably relative to the handle body 2, and a proximal portion of the wire 6 is fixed to the rotating disk 3. The rotating disk 3 is provided with a locking portion 4 for fixing the proximal portion of the wire 6, and the proximal portion of the wire 6 is fixed to the locking portion 4. It is preferable that the proximal end of the wire 6 (for example, a portion within 20 mm distal from the proximal end of the wire 6) is fixed to the locking portion 4. The wire 6 can be fixed to the locking portion 4 by any known joining means such as adhesion, welding, crimping, fitting, screwing, knotting, etc. It is preferable that the locking portion 4 is located proximal to the rotation shaft 5 when the rotating disk 3 is in a neutral position. The rotating disk 3 can be formed, for example, from a synthetic resin.

[0024] In a plan view of the turntable 3, the wire 6 may be arranged on only one side of the rotation axis 5 of the turntable 3, or on both sides. The handle 1 may be used, for example, for a single-direction type catheter in which the distal portion of the tube 12 is bent in one direction, or for a bidirectional type catheter in which the distal portion of the tube 12 is bent in one direction and the other direction. The handle 1 shown in Figures 2 and 3 has one locking portion 4 on the turntable 3 and is used for a single-direction type catheter.

[0025] The turntable 3 preferably includes an operating unit that can be rotated from the outside of the handle 1. The operating unit is provided exposed on the outside of the handle 1, and is formed so that a user can touch the operating unit to rotate the turntable 3. The operating unit is formed, for example, so as to constitute a part of the outer edge of the turntable 3. The operating unit may be formed to include a protruding part that protrudes outward from the rotation shaft 5, and at least a part of the protruding part may be configured to be exposed from the handle body 2.

[0026] The turntable 3 has a guide member 7. The guide member 7 is installed on the turntable 3, and the wire 6 is arranged so as to abut against the guide member 7. The guide member 7 defines the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3. It is preferable that the wire 6 is arranged so as to abut against the outer periphery of the guide member 7 with respect to the rotating shaft 5. The guide member 7 can be made of, for example, synthetic resin.

[0027] By providing the guide member 7, when the turntable 3 is rotated, the length of the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 changes, and the wire 6 arranged in the lumen of the tube 12 can be pulled proximally. As shown in FIG. 8, by rotating the turntable 3 clockwise, the length of the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 increases, and the wire 6 can be pulled proximally. By pulling the wire 6 in this manner, the distal portion of the tube 12 can be bent. In the single-direction type handle 1, the rotatable angle range of the turntable 3 is preferably 30° or more, more preferably 45° or more, and is preferably 90° or less, and more preferably 75° or less.

[0028] The guide member 7 is installed on the rotating platen 3 as follows. That is, one of the rotating platen 3 and the guide member 7 has a convex portion 8 and the other has a concave portion 9, and the convex portion 8 is fitted into the concave portion 9, thereby installing the guide member 7 on the rotating platen 3. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the guide member 7 is installed on the rotating platen 3 by providing a convex portion 8 on the guide member 7, providing a concave portion 9 on the rotating platen 3, and fitting the convex portion 8 of the guide member 7 into the concave portion 9 of the rotating platen 3. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the guide member 7 having the shape shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 and having the convex portion 8. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the guide member 7 is installed on the rotating platen 3 by providing a convex portion 8 on the rotating platen 3, providing a concave portion 9 on the guide member 7, and fitting the convex portion 8 of the rotating platen 3 into the concave portion 9 of the guide member 7. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the guide member 7 having the shape shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 and having the concave portion 9.

[0029] The protrusion 8 and the recess 9 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the rotating platen 3 and the guide member 7. When the protrusion 8 is formed on the rotating platen 3, the protrusion 8 is provided on the opposing surface of the rotating platen 3 facing the guide member 7, protruding from the opposing surface toward the guide member 7. When the protrusion 8 is formed on the guide member 7, the protrusion 8 is provided on the opposing surface of the guide member 7 facing the rotating platen 3, protruding from the opposing surface toward the rotating platen 3. When the recess 9 is formed on the rotating platen 3, the recess 9 is formed on the opposing surface of the rotating platen 3 facing the guide member 7 by recessing a part of the opposing surface. When the recess 9 is formed on the guide member 7, the recess 9 is formed on the opposing surface of the guide member 7 facing the rotating platen 3 by recessing a part of the opposing surface. The recess 9 may have a bottom, or may be formed without a bottom and penetrating the rotating platen 3 or the guide member 7. In the latter case, the recess 9 is formed as an opening. In the turntable 3, the convex portion 8 or the concave portion 9 is provided on the main surface of the turntable 3, i.e., the surface of the turntable 3 extending in a planar direction, and when the turntable 3 is formed as a housing, it is preferable that the convex portion 8 or the concave portion 9 is formed on the inner main surface (main surface facing the internal space) of the turntable 3 which is the housing. The convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 are formed to have substantially the same shape when the handle 1 is viewed in a plan view.

[0030] The convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 have a non-circular rotationally symmetric shape. That is, in a plan view of the handle 1, the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 are formed into a shape that overlaps with the original shape when rotated by (360 / n) degrees, such as 180 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees. Here, n represents a finite integer value of 2 or more. Examples of the shape of the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 include a two-fold rotationally symmetric shape such as a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a rhombus, a three-fold rotationally symmetric shape such as an equilateral triangle, a four-fold rotationally symmetric shape such as a square or a cross, a five-fold rotationally symmetric shape such as a regular pentagon or a pentagram, or a six-fold rotationally symmetric shape such as a regular hexagon or a hexagram. In addition, the shape may be a spur gear shape.

[0031] Guide member 7 has an outer edge formed at unequal distances from the center of convex portion 8 or concave portion 9 in a plan view when installed on turntable 3. In other words, guide member 7 has an outer edge having a shape other than a circle centered at the center (centroid) of convex portion 8 or concave portion 9. Examples of the shape of guide member 7 include an ellipse, an oval, a polygon, a circle centered other than the center of convex portion 8 or concave portion 9, and an irregular shape.

[0032] By forming the guide member 7 as described above, the guide member 7 can be installed on the turntable 3 in a plurality of configurations. Specifically, the orientation of the guide member 7 can be changed and installed on the turntable 3 depending on the value of n of the n-fold rotational symmetry of the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9. For example, if the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 have a two-fold rotational symmetry shape, the guide member 7 can be installed on the turntable 3 in two configurations, and if the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 have a three-fold rotational symmetry shape, the guide member 7 can be installed on the turntable 3 in three configurations. By configuring the guide member 7 in this way, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 (the route through which the wire 6 passes) can be changed depending on the installation form of the guide member 7. As a result, the maximum pulling length of the wire 6 when the turntable 3 is rotated can be changed, and the degree of bending and operability of the distal part of the tube 12 when the turntable 3 is rotated can be adjusted according to the user's preferences and needs. In addition, the length and diameter of the tube 12 of the catheter 11 may differ depending on the treatment application, but by using the handle 1, the movement and operability of the distal part of the tube 12 can be appropriately controlled by appropriately selecting the installation form of the guide member 7 according to the specifications of the tube 12, and the handle 1 can be used by connecting tubes 12 of various specifications. This can expand the range of application of the handle 1. The maximum pulling length of the wire 6 means the pulling length of the wire 6 when the turntable 3 is rotated to the maximum within the rotatable angle range.

[0033] In the handle 1 shown in Figs. 2 to 9B, the turntable 3 and the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 of the guide member 7 have the shape of an equilateral triangle with three-fold rotational symmetry, and the guide member 7 has an outer edge with an elliptical shape. Therefore, the guide member 7 is formed so that the installation direction on the turntable 3 can be changed in three ways. Figs. 3, 9A and 9B show examples in which the installation direction of the guide member 7 is changed and the guide member 7 is installed on the turntable 3 in three different forms. By changing the installation direction of the guide member 7, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 can be changed.

[0034] When the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 9A, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is the longest, when the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 9B, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is the shortest, and when the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 3, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is intermediate. The longer the distance between the rotation axis 5 of the turntable 3 and the farthest point from the rotation axis 5 of the outer edge of the guide member 7, the longer the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3, and this allows the maximum pulling length of the wire 6 to be changed when the turntable 3 is rotated. In other words, the guide member 7 is formed so that the distance between the rotation axis 5 of the turntable 3 and the farthest point from the rotation axis 5 of the outer edge of the guide member 7 changes by changing the installation direction on the turntable 3. Note that the farthest point of the outer edge of the guide member 7 described here means the farthest point of the outer edge of the guide member 7 that the wire 6 can abut on when the turntable 3 is rotated.

[0035] The convex portion 8 or concave portion 9 of the turntable 3 is preferably provided on one side of the width direction of the turntable 3 when the turntable 3 is in a neutral position, i.e., when the wire 6 is not being pulled. Furthermore, the convex portion 8 or concave portion 9 of the turntable 3 is preferably provided within a range of ±60° with respect to the width direction when the turntable 3 is in a neutral position, and more preferably within a range of ±45° with respect to the width direction.

[0036] 10A to 10C show other configuration examples of the handle 1. In the handle 1 shown in Fig. 10A to 10C, the rotating plate 3 and the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 of the guide member 7 have a regular hexagonal shape with six-fold rotational symmetry, and the guide member 7 has a circular outer edge whose center is other than the center of the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9. Therefore, the guide member 7 is formed so that the installation direction on the rotating plate 3 can be changed in six different ways. Fig. 10A to 10C show examples in which the installation direction of the guide member 7 is changed and the guide member 7 is installed on the rotating plate 3 in three different configurations.

[0037] The longer the distance between the rotation axis 5 of the turntable 3 and the farthest point from the rotation axis 5 of the outer edge of the guide member 7, the longer the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3. When the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 10B, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is the longest. When the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 10C, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is the shortest. When the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 10A, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is an intermediate length. The guide member 7 can be installed on the turntable 3 in an orientation other than that shown in FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C, and in this case, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is also an intermediate length. The larger the value of n in the n-fold rotationally symmetric shape of the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9, the more finely the orientation of the guide member 7 can be changed, and the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 can be finely adjusted.

[0038] 11A to 11C show still another example of the configuration of the handle 1. In the handle 1 shown in Figs. 11A to 11C, the turntable 3 and the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 of the guide member 7 have a cross shape with four-fold rotational symmetry, and the guide member 7 has an oval outer edge. Therefore, the guide member 7 is formed so that the installation direction on the turntable 3 can be changed in four different ways. Figs. 11A to 11C show an example in which the installation direction of the guide member 7 is changed and the guide member 7 is installed on the turntable 3 in three different configurations.

[0039] The longer the distance between the rotation axis 5 of the turntable 3 and the farthest point from the rotation axis 5 of the outer edge of the guide member 7, the longer the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3, and when the guide member 7 is installed as shown in Fig. 11B, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is the longest, when the guide member 7 is installed as shown in Fig. 11C, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is the shortest, and when the guide member 7 is installed as shown in Fig. 11A, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 is an intermediate length. The guide member 7 can be installed on the turntable 3 in an orientation other than that shown in Figs. 11A to 11C, and in this case too, the path of the wire 6 on the turntable 3 will be an intermediate length.

[0040] 12A and 12B show still another example of the configuration of the handle 1. In the handle 1 shown in FIG. 12A and 12B, the rotating disk 3 and the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 of the guide member 7 have a rectangular shape with two-fold rotational symmetry, and the guide member 7 has an outer edge with an irregular shape. Therefore, the guide member 7 is formed so that the installation direction on the rotating disk 3 can be changed in two ways. FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B show an example in which the installation direction of the guide member 7 is changed and the guide member 7 is installed on the rotating disk 3 in two forms. When the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 12A, the path of the wire 6 on the rotating disk 3 is shorter than when the guide member 7 is installed as shown in FIG. 12B. In this way, the guide member 7 may have an outer edge with an irregular shape.

[0041] 2 to 12B, one guide member 7 is provided for one wire 6, but multiple guide members 7 may be provided for one wire 6. In this case, one wire 6 comes into contact with each of the multiple guide members 7. In this case, it is sufficient that at least one guide member 7 has the above-described convex portion 8 or concave portion 9, and has outer edges formed at unequal distances from the center of the convex portion 8 or concave portion 9.

[0042] It is preferable that at least a part of the outer edge of the guide member 7 is curved. This prevents the wire 6 from getting caught on the guide member 7, and allows smooth operation of the turntable 3. It is preferable that 80% or more of the outer edge of the guide member 7 is curved, more preferably 90% or more of the outer edge is curved, and even more preferably the entire outer edge is curved.

[0043] The convex portions 8 and the concave portions 9 preferably have an n-fold rotationally symmetric shape, where the value of n is an integer between 2 and 10. If the convex portions 8 and the concave portions 9 are formed in this manner, it becomes easy to adjust the installation direction of the guide member 7. In order to increase the variety of installation forms of the guide member 7 on the turntable 3, it is more preferable that the value of n is 3 or more. In order to increase the visibility of the convex portions 8 and the concave portions 9, the convex portions 8 and the concave portions 9 may be a shape other than a rectangle, and may be a shape other than two-fold rotationally symmetric or four-fold rotationally symmetric.

[0044] The guide member 7 is preferably removably installed on the turntable 3. This makes it easy to adjust the degree of bending of the distal part of the tube 12 and the operability when the turntable 3 is rotated according to the user's preference. In addition, when the installation form of the guide member 7 is determined when the handle 1 is manufactured, the guide member 7 may be installed on the turntable 3 so as not to be removable when the handle 1 is used. In this case, the guide member 7 is removable from the turntable 3 during manufacturing, so that the installation form of the guide member 7 can be determined arbitrarily during manufacturing, and after the installation form of the guide member 7 is determined, the guide member 7 may be fixed to the turntable 3 with an adhesive or the like.

[0045] In a single direction type handle 1, the shapes of the convex portion 8 and concave portion 9 of the rotating disk 3 and the guide member 7, and the outer edge shape of the guide member 7 are not limited to the aspects shown in the drawings, and various variations are possible.

[0046] Another embodiment of the handle will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 18B. Fig. 13 shows another example of a catheter equipped with a handle, and shows an overall plan view of the catheter, Fig. 14 shows a plan view of the main part of the handle provided in the catheter shown in Fig. 13, Fig. 15 shows a plan view of the internal structure of the handle shown in Fig. 14, Figs. 16 and 17 show examples of cross-sectional views taken along the line XVI-XVI of the handle shown in Fig. 14, and Figs. 18A and 18B show plan views of the handle shown in Fig. 15 in a state in which the rotating disk is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to pull the wire. In the following description, descriptions of parts that overlap with those described above will be omitted.

[0047] The handle 1 shown in Figures 13 to 18B is used in a bidirectional type catheter that bends the distal portion of the tube 12 in one direction and the other, and a first wire 6A and a second wire 6B are provided as the wire 6, and locking portions and guide members are provided for the first wire 6A and the second wire 6B, respectively.

[0048] The first wire 6A and the second wire 6B each have a distal portion disposed in the lumen of the tube 12 and a proximal portion disposed in the handle 1, and the rotating disk 3 has a first locking portion 4A to which the proximal portion of the first wire 6A is fixed, a second locking portion 4B to which the proximal portion of the second wire 6B is fixed, a first guide member 7A against which the first wire 6A abuts, and a second guide member 7B against which the second wire 6B abuts. The first wire 6A abuts the first guide member 7A when the rotating disk 3 is rotated to one side, and the second wire 6B abuts the second guide member 7B when the rotating disk 3 is rotated to the other side.

[0049] The turntable 3 and the first guide member 7A are formed with the above-described convex portion or concave portion, which are referred to as the first convex portion 8A and the first concave portion 9A, respectively. The first guide member 7A is installed on the turntable 3 by fitting the first convex portion 8A into the first concave portion 9A. The turntable 3 and the second guide member 7B are formed with the above-described convex portion or concave portion, which are referred to as the second convex portion 8B and the second concave portion 9B, respectively. The second guide member 7B is installed on the turntable 3 by fitting the second convex portion 8B into the second concave portion 9B.

[0050] For details about the first wire 6A and the second wire 6B, please refer to the description of the wires above, for details about the first engagement portion 4A and the second engagement portion 4B, please refer to the description of the engagement portions above, for details about the first guide member 7A and the second guide member 7B, please refer to the description of the guide members above, for details about the first convex portion 8A and the second convex portion 8B, please refer to the description of the convex portions above, and for details about the first recessed portion 9A and the second recessed portion 9B, please refer to the description of the recesses above.

[0051] When the handle 1 shown in FIG. 15 is rotated clockwise around the turntable 3 as shown in FIG. 18A, the length of the path of the first wire 6A on the turntable 3 increases, and the first wire 6A can be pulled proximally. By pulling the first wire 6A in this way, the distal portion of the tube 12 can be bent in one direction. On the other hand, when the handle 1 shown in FIG. 15 is rotated counterclockwise around the turntable 3 as shown in FIG. 18B, the length of the path of the second wire 6B on the turntable 3 increases, and the second wire 6B can be pulled proximally. By pulling the second wire 6B in this way, the distal portion of the tube 12 can be bent in the other direction.

[0052] In a bi-directional type handle 1, the rotatable angle range of the turntable 3 is preferably 45° or more, more preferably 60° or more, and is preferably 150° or less, and more preferably 120° or less. In addition, when the turntable 3 is in a neutral position as shown in Fig. 15, it is preferable that the first convex portion 8A or the first concave portion 9A of the turntable 3 is provided on one side in the width direction, and the second convex portion 8B or the second concave portion 9B of the turntable 3 is provided on the other side in the width direction.

[0053] In the handle 1 shown in Figs. 8 to 18B, the first guide member 7A can be installed on the turntable 3 in a plurality of configurations, and the second guide member 7B can be installed on the turntable 3 in a plurality of configurations. Therefore, the path of the first wire 6A and the path of the second wire 6B on the turntable 3 (the route through which the first wire 6A passes and the route through which the second wire 6B passes) can be changed according to the installation form of the first guide member 7A and the second guide member 7B. As a result, the maximum pulling length of the first wire 6A when the turntable 3 is rotated can be changed. This makes it possible to arbitrarily adjust the degree of bending and operability of the distal part of the tube 12 when the turntable 3 is rotated according to the user's preferences and needs.

[0054] In the bi-directional type handle 1, the shape of the first guide member 7A, the shape of the first convex portion 8A and the first concave portion 9A, the shape of the second guide member 7B, and the shape of the second convex portion 8B and the second concave portion 9B can be variously varied as shown in Figs. 10A to 12B, and are not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The outer edge shape of the first guide member 7A and the outer edge shape of the second guide member 7B may be the same or different from each other. The shape of the first convex portion 8A and the first concave portion 9A may be the same or different from the shape of the second convex portion 8B and the second concave portion 9B.

[0055] The catheter handle of the present invention has been described above, but the handle of the present invention is not limited to one that controls the bending of the distal part of the tube, so long as it can displace the wire placed in the lumen of the tube provided on the distal side of the catheter handle to the distal or proximal side in the lumen of the tube. For example, the handle may be one that can insert and remove the wire from the distal end of the tube by operating the handle. Alternatively, the handle may be used in a catheter configured such that a treatment tool such as a knife or snare is attached to the distal end of the wire and the treatment tool attached to the distal end of the wire can be inserted and removed from the distal end of the tube by operating the handle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1: Catheter handle 2: Handle body, 2A: First handle member, 2B: Second handle member 3: Turntable 4: Locking part, 4A: First locking part, 4B: Second locking part 5: Rotation axis 6: Wire, 6A: First Wire, 6B: Second Wire 7: guide member, 7A: first guide member, 7B: second guide member 8: convex portion, 8A: first convex portion, 8B: second convex portion 9: Recess, 9A: First recess, 9B: Second recess 10: Insertion port 11: Catheter 12: Tube

Claims

1. A handle for manipulating a catheter tube, The handle body and a wire having a distal portion disposed within the lumen of the tube and a proximal portion disposed within the handle; A rotating disk provided rotatably with respect to the handle body and having a locking portion to which a proximal portion of the wire is fixed; a guide member that is installed on the rotating disk and against which the wire abuts; one of the rotating disk and the guide member has a convex portion and the other has a concave portion, and the guide member is installed on the rotating disk by fitting the convex portion into the concave portion; the protrusion and the recess have a non-circular, rotationally symmetric shape, The guide member is a catheter handle having an outer edge formed at unequal distances from the center of the convex portion or the concave portion when viewed in a plan view while the guide member is placed on the rotating disk.

2. A first wire and a second wire are provided as the wires, As the locking portion, a first locking portion to which a proximal portion of the first wire is fixed and a second locking portion to which a proximal portion of the second wire is fixed are provided, 2. The catheter handle according to claim 1, wherein the guide members include a first guide member against which the first wire abuts and a second guide member against which the second wire abuts.

3. The catheter handle according to claim 1 , wherein the convex portion and the concave portion have a shape with n-fold rotational symmetry (n is an integer between 2 and 10).

4. The catheter handle of claim 1 , wherein the guide member is removably mounted on the rotating disk.

5. A catheter handle according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and a tube having a proximal portion connected to the handle.

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